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#1
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Aluminium vs. Fiberglass
Markus Baertschi wrote: For me there is no doubt that aluminium is a far superior material for boat hulls. I've spent many cruises on french alu hulls and was always very happy with their performance. Over here on the used boat market alu boats keep theirs price much better than fiber hulls. Mostly because the hull is more solid in the long run and less prone to aging. Here a short summary of advantages and disadvantages + Solid hull and deck Things like the raling bases, cleats etc. are more solid, because mounted onto an metal hull. + Maintenance is easy and cheap. Regular antifouling and replacing the anodes will do. The hull doesn't deteriorate on its own. There is no blistering or similar effects. + The hull resists severe shocks well. I've seen alu sailboats after an encounter with rocks. There were severe dents, but no leaks. Fibre boats would not survive the same. - The downside is the difficulty to work aluminium. It takes more skill and better equipment to weld it than steel. You can not do repairs or modifications yourself as easily. Are aluminium hulls generally more expensive than fiberglass ? Any company in the U.S. building sailboats (40' +) with Aluminium hull ? |
#2
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Aluminium vs. Fiberglass
Here is a link to a Canadian aluminium boat which is basically what sparked my interest in aluminium hulls. Note the price is high and out of my range, but non the less I thought it was an interesting boat: http://www.labradoryachts.com/a_presentation.htm |
#3
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Aluminium vs. Fiberglass
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