On Fri, 26 Mar 2004 23:57:43 +0800, Old Nick wrote:

On Fri, 26 Mar 2004 00:20:23 -0500, "johnagner" vaguely
proposed a theory
......and in reply I say!:
remove ns from my header address to reply via email

I'm looking to buy my first boat, and i'm on a limited budget. a friend
suggested i buy one with an outboard.


....and I disagree with most of what Nick said.

Here on the West Coast, where there's lots of things to hit, welded-aluminum
boats are de rigeur for commercial boats (fishing, commuter, etc.). They just
last and last (but they aren't cheap, don't look great, and sound wierd). As for
rivited aluminum: half the backyards in BC have a rivited-aluminum skiff tucked
away somewhere. The one I have is 1975, and it's still leakproof despite being
thrown around, dragged over rocks and gravel, etc.

Old outboards seem to never die. I've had several over 20 years old (my current
one is a 1989 Johnson) and they seem to just keep running (koff!koff! they
DO smoke a lot!). Not much to go wrong with an old 2-stroke...

So yeah, an aluminum boat with an old outboard is a great way to get into
boating. Just make sure you have an alternate way home (kicker motor, electric,
oars...) and don't go too far until you're sure the boat is reliable.

And DO have the boat and especially the motor checked out by an "expert" before
you buy.

Lloyd Sumpter
"The Tin Boat" Mirrocraft 12

Hi Lloyd,
From the sounds of it you have quite a substantial amount of faith in
the strength of aluminium hulls. To compare aluminium commercial fishers
with "backyard skiffs" is somewhat akin to comparing apples and hammers
though wouldn't you agree?
Heres a little challenge to affirm or refute your faith in those riveted
hulls you can try if you're ever bored and have a little jalopy you don't
care much about. Word to the wise though, do not try this far from shore.
Take a large piece of firewood, spray paint it neon orange for
visibility and float it in the water. Back track a ways and ram it full
speed, in similar fashion an unsuspecting boater might accidentally hit a
similar piece of driftwood while underway. Try to ensure you reach it doing
cruise speeds (20-30 mph).
Until you actually see what this type of an impact does to a "backyard
skiff," holding them to such false high esteem would lead one to believe
they are safer then they really are. I have proof to give me reason to
believe otherwise. Okay okay I know it doesn't happen every day, but it does
happen, it happened to me so it could just as easily happen to anyone.
Perhaps aluminium hulls don't mind being "dragged over rocks and gravel"
when being beached, but then again neither does my canoe. It, however, is a
far cry from the security I feel when bumping something unexpectedly in my
fibreglass hull (to a point). I still say glass is the way.

regards
Bryan

On Sat, 27 Mar 2004 08:07:32 -0800, "Lloyd Sumpter"
vaguely proposed a theory
.......and in reply I say!:
remove ns from my header address to reply via email


Here on the West Coast, where there's lots of things to hit, welded-aluminum
boats are de rigeur for commercial boats (fishing, commuter, etc.). They just
last and last (but they aren't cheap, don't look great, and sound wierd).

But were they built 30-40 years ago?

As for
rivited aluminum: half the backyards in BC have a rivited-aluminum skiff tucked
away somewhere. The one I have is 1975, and it's still leakproof despite being
thrown around, dragged over rocks and gravel, etc.

Well I have a riveted aluminium ruinabout that I got "for a good
price". I don't know how old it is. It's a bloody mess. A real
"project". It's way overbuilt in the sheeting, and too heavy. But
every rivet leaks. I learned to hate my wife for a while, because I
held the dolly while she belted the rivets, trying to seel them. It
only partially worked. It really needs either welding or completely
re-riveting.

So yeah, an aluminum boat with an old outboard is a great way to get into
boating. Just make sure you have an alternate way home (kicker motor, electric,
oars...) and don't go too far until you're sure the boat is reliable.

And DO have the boat and especially the motor checked out by an "expert" before
you buy.

But "at the right price" this can become uneconomical IMO, unless you
know a mate who is (a) really up with it (b) brave enough to recommend
you a boat!
************************************************** ** sorry

..........no I'm not!
remove ns from my header address to reply via email

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