What Is Better In Choppy Conditions?

[locodave]

Been in my little 4.5 meter ALuminium on the water while its been choppy and don't really enjoy it too much. I see other boats just smashing it through the waves. In general are fibreglass better?

[Flightmanager]

Fibreglass boats tend to give a " softer " ride , and are a little bit quieter on the water . I can assure you , that if the water is rough , a 'glass boat can be just as uncomfortable as a tinny !! Also , the size , shape and weight of the boat has a lot to do with it .

Ross

[Guest Big-Banana]

I've come to learn it doesn't matter what your in, if its rough its rough. In saying that a fiberglass will handle better in some aspects of rough water boating. With a bit of experience in an aluminum boat with weight distribution and tilt settings it gets quite negligible to rough water handling.

[Geoff]

Agree with all the previous comments. Generally speaking glass is better as they tend to "plough" through the water due to their weight where as the lighter Aluminium "bounce" across the top.

There are a lot of plusses & minuses for both & this is just one aspect

Perhaps the other main one is speed. Even the best design boat / construction material can be uncomfortable if driven at the wrong speed in bad conditions

Geoff

[netic]

Glass is better as already stated, but these days with designs like the evo hull and the mill hull Alum is catching up, My mate has a Evo hull on a 5.75 and it cuts through the water very well, much better then my mates haines 5.50 + metre.

You gotta we up the pro's and cons......Fibreglass cuts better but is heavier, therefore you need a more powerful motor, More power means more juice,also towing a fibreglass is heavier also.

I personally prefer Alum and would never buy another glass boat, I have seen 6 year old glass boats have stress cracks all over it. Where as an alum boat is more durable....worse case is the welds may crack and then just get that area rewelded....Once a glass boat has stress cracks its like cancer,,,,,you never really can fix it

[locodave]

Yea I'm thinking of buying another boat, not sure, I want something bigger, but i guess it also means towing would be an issue!

Thanks for the feedback s far guys!

[Guest Big-Banana]

See the light and go Custom Plate.

[Geoff]

All good points & when thinking of a new boat there is much to consider.

My preference is Aluminium mainly for weight & durability.

My current rig is a 4.6mt aluminium Shark Cat style boat & handles choppy water with ease & very good stability when at rest.

There are lot's of others to choose from

Geoff

[namesay]

See the light and go Custom Plate.

Most aluminium hulls aren't that sophisticated. Fiberglass is much easier to mould into complex shapes. Also most aluminium hulls have a very shallow V at the transom. This makes for a pounding ride. The shalllow V has a lot of advantages like slower planing speeds, better resistence to rolling and listing, shallower draught..etc but it makes the ride in choppy water poor.

FIberglass on the other hand can be moulded into very complex shapes and can have compound curves that aluminium can't match. This is their main advantage.

I am getting a Noble SUper V which has a 24 degree deadrise. A very sophisticated plate aluminium hull. Cuts through the water like anything. The softest ride I have ever had be it fiberglass or aluminium. Costs $$$ but worth every penny. CHeers Kelvin

[CR@ZY OS@M@]

im happy with mine

[johnno]

of course you are it's a beast !!!

[pjbink]

I personally prefer Alum and would never buy another glass boat, I have seen 6 year old glass boats have stress cracks all over it. Where as an alum boat is more durable....worse case is the welds may crack and then just get that area rewelded....Once a glass boat has stress cracks its like cancer,,,,,you never really can fix it

Are you sure they weren't gel coate cracks? These are common but are a cosmetic problem and in no way affect the strength of the boat. Fiberglass is unlikely to show stress crack due to its impact absorbing nature. It needs to be reinforced though by a stringer system. An structural problems would result from a very poor design or due to the wooden stringers rotting (some have fiberglass stringers).

If problems show up it is not the end of the world. Virtually anything can be fixed with fiberglass and a well done repair should be just as strong and in a lot of cases stronger than the original.

[caine]

dont wont to confuse the issue but i think plastic boats are worth a look

[namesay]

Are you sure they weren't gel coate cracks? These are common but are a cosmetic problem and in no way affect the strength of the boat. Fiberglass is unlikely to show stress crack due to its impact absorbing nature. It needs to be reinforced though by a stringer system. An structural problems would result from a very poor design or due to the wooden stringers rotting (some have fiberglass stringers).

If problems show up it is not the end of the world. Virtually anything can be fixed with fiberglass and a well done repair should be just as strong and in a lot of cases stronger than the original.

When it comes to strength fiberglass is one of the strongest materials to make a boat. Have a look at all those old 30year old glass boats still going around. Needs more maintenance than aluminium and that is the main reason for me choosing the latter but fiberglass is strong enough to make some really large boats. Have a look at all those game boats.

Now days the absence of wood in most new fiberglass hulls means that even the rotting of the wood isn't an issue. The noise absorption, the smooth curves, strength, ease of repairs and sophisticated hull design makes fiberglass very attractive. Compared to your regular pressed aluminum boats there is NO contest!!

It is only when you get the plate aluminum boats that aluminium comes into the equation. Plate hulls for rec fisho use is fairly new. There is a world of difference between plate and pressed aluminium. THe latter are boats only suited to inshore use. I once had a deHavilland and had the whole boat bent when we hit 1 large wave!!!

These pressed aluminum hulls have an advantage of being light and cheap. BUt leave a sinker or any metallic object in contact with the hull for a while and you will get corrosion and pin holes!...never buy an old quinnie!!!

Plate hulls are different but cost far more. They have the strength to equal fiberglass and can handle open waters. Most good plate hulls cost more than fiberglass as most are built to custom specs and the price of aluminum is sky rocketing!

People also think aluminum will be lighter but this is not apparant when you have a plate aluminium hull. Plate aluminium boats have one BIG advantage over fiberglass and it is their ability to be customised. You DON'T have to build an expensive mould to put in custom specs...just cut out some plate al and weld it in!

Anyway this is becoming an essay! Cheers Kelvin

[Guest Big-Banana]

Most aluminium hulls aren't that sophisticated. Fiberglass is much easier to mould into complex shapes. Also most aluminium hulls have a very shallow V at the transom. This makes for a pounding ride. The shalllow V has a lot of advantages like slower planing speeds, better resistence to rolling and listing, shallower draught..etc but it makes the ride in choppy water poor.

FIberglass on the other hand can be moulded into very complex shapes and can have compound curves that aluminium can't match. This is their main advantage.

I am getting a Noble SUper V which has a 24 degree deadrise. A very sophisticated plate aluminium hull. Cuts through the water like anything. The softest ride I have ever had be it fiberglass or aluminium. Costs $$$ but worth every penny. CHeers Kelvin

I've got to disagree there, my boat is only a 17 degree dead rise and I was speaking to my boat builder who has now gone to 19 degree and said there was little to no difference. Aluminum hulls are more sophisticated then you give them credit for. They are tougher imo and the ability to customise a boat with little to no restrictions makes them more appealing to any fisherman. If your experiencing poor handling in a well built plate boat Id be doing a bit of researching as to why, have you got a hydrofoil installed? Are your tilt settings right? How is the weight distributed in the boat? I've been out in a 5.5m Haines and I've gotta say for the extra cash which is laid out, I though the ride and boat at rest was average. You don't have to sopend huge bucks to get a good ride from a 24 degree hull. With a bit of initiative and perseverance any boat c an perform better.