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Hi all,

I'm looking for some info on aluminum boats. I currently have a 21 ft
Seaswirl Striper (fiberglass). It's a good boat...but I want something
that is more appropriate to the weather here in Oregon so I'm looking for
something with an enclosed cabin. And since I'm getting to old and heavy
to be climbing along the outside of a cabin, the walk through windshield
sounds like a good idea. Apparently that limits me to aluminum boats,
although I've no real preference either way. The two models I like so far
are the Hewescraft Ocean Pro and the Weldcraft Ocean King (links below).
If anyone knows of a fiberglass model with similar configurations to
those,
please let me know.

http://www.hewescraft.com/2007/oceanpro/index.html

http://www.weldcraftmarine.com/model...cean_king.html

SInce it looks like I'm going aluminum, I'm hoping to get the benefit of
others experience.

One of the significant differences is that the Weldcraft boats have a
"marine grade plywood" floor while I believe the Hewescraft boats have an
aluminum floor. Although the Weldcraft boats certainly look nice in the
pictures, my first impression on the plywood was that they were cutting
some corners to make it cheaper. Or am I wrong there? A wooden floor
would certainly be easier to remove than a welded floor should any under
floor maintenance be required. So I'm hoping to hear what people who have
actually owned an aluminum boat think about the pros and cons of each.

Another probably stupid question is regarding the corrosion issue. I've
heard the story of the copper penny eating through the hull. While I'm
not
planning on experimenting with a $60,000 boat...it does make me wonder how
expensive that sort of thing would be to repair.

Also, I've heard that corrosion is less of an issue for boats that are
trailered. I'm figuring on every other weekend in the water, with about a
70/30 split between salt and fresh water...plus maybe two weeks a year
moored in salt water during the summer salmon season. I've heard that I
should use magnesium in fresh water and a less noble aluminum in salt
water. So...for a boat that goes back and forth...do I need to swap them
out, use both, or just use one or the other?

Ray in Oregon

Lots of the makers make hardtops as well as Alaskan Cabins. Look at
http://www.riverjetmagazine.com and look at their online magazine for links.
Look at http://www.precisionweldboats.com/ for really nice boats. More
expensive than your present boat.