Hi

I am presently cruising in Australia and have noted that many of the
cruising boats here and in Holland are metal - steel or aluminum. Popular
designers are van der Stadt, Joe Adams, Graham Radford and Bruce Roberts.
Also most dinks are Al.

Last year I watched a friend build a van der Stadt 40 (Norman pilot house
version) in aluminum. This design can be built in either steel or
aluminum; you add an extra ton of lead ballast in the aluminum version and
finish with a boat that is still a ton lighter than the steel version.
Yacht is thus lighter (faster) and stiffer (better ballast ratio) and
doesn't rust. Must continually watch for electrolysis producing
situations though.

Yacht was bought as plazma cut kit from the van der Stadt agents which
were incredibly accurately cut and fitted together quite easily. Even
tack-weld points and welding sequence are marked. It took eighteen months
of fairly extensive part-time work to complete the hull to a high usable
standard, not luxurious. She sails quite well and is a very versatile
cruising yacht.

Hull seems bullet proof, and it might be worth you looking at this option.

Fair Winds

Graeme
sv Leonidas