Fibreglass or aluminium

[GoingFishing]

Gday Raiders

I am hoping i can get some help in making a decision about a boat upgrade.

I have been doing a heap of research on the pros and cons of both aluminium and fibreglass and the conclusion i have come to is that neither is better than the other, rather the best option is a result of intended use, individual specifications and budget.

I intend to use the boat more or less exclusively for fishing mostly in the shallow reefs and during summer for the occassional trip out to the FADs.

Im no expert when it comes to boats so put my thoughts here for peer review and welcome any feedback. 

My main drivers are:

1. Durability and reliability

2. As least maintenance as possible (in the context of how much my current boat currently requires, Quintrex Renegade)

3. Fishing features and fit for purpose

4. Budget 

I have narrowed the options to:

1. Whitley CW1650

2. Formosa Classic Half Cab

happy to hear everyones thoughts and also any alternative suggestions based on my main drivers 

many thanks in advance

[PaddyT]

For the type of fishing you do why wouldnt you get a center console- in a 17ft boat a half cab destroys a huge amount of usable space and you end up having to fishing "around" your boat rather than fishing "allaround" your boat. Al or glass doesnt matter that much for what you are trying to do

[Sigma]

Another thing to consider is that aluminum boats are lighter than a fibreglass boat in a comparable size and therefore you would need a bigger horsepower engine to push the fibreglass boat. Also, as it's heavier, it also requires a stronger vehicle to tow it. In saying this, the fibreglass is quieter on the water due to the noise being supressed by the fibreglass.

Everyone has their preference.....

[sleepydragon]

Go for Aluminum mate. Been there done that.

[Trailcraft43]

Alloy boats are a lot colder in winter it's like sitting in a fridge.

where fiberglass aren't as cold.

also alloy boats bouncing along a sea with s bit of chop can knock you around a bit.

where fiberglass gives a bit more comfortable ride.

Depending on size

Its basically half a dozen of one and six of the other really.

[Fishop]

4 hours ago, PaddyT said:

For the type of fishing you do why wouldnt you get a center console- in a 17ft boat a half cab destroys a huge amount of usable space and you end up having to fishing "around" your boat rather than fishing "allaround" your boat. Al or glass doesnt matter that much for what you are trying to do

I got a glass half cab and yes I agree the cab takes up alot of space.   I can fish 4 people out the back but everyone trips over each other and its not worth the hassle.  3 people is ok, 2 is better.  For a boat thats 5.6m long you lose alot of fishing space.  In saying that the half cab is great for keeping stuff dry and going out camping on islands with.  8)

[PaddyT]

Yep Ive got a 5.4 m CC (TABS) - I can bottom bash, spin for pelagics,soft plastics for jew /flatties, crab, catch marlin, downrig for kings, flyfish, troll for trout, sleep on the floor etc

[kingfishbig]

Well you can go for runabout or cuddy cabin (ideally  with clears and bimini). It's a bit of a false binary ie half cabin verses a centre console. The rear of the boat is the business area anyway as mostly offshore you will be trolling or bottom bashing (and even casting you can do that from the rear). Having some structure up front protects you from the wind and spray and adds to safety (eg if you cop a green one over the bow). You would have to be extremely hardy to fish offshore in a centre console off Sydney in winter.

[Trailcraft43]

I like fiberglass half cabs.

you can comfortably sleep overnight on them. Without freezing in winter.

also get out of the sun in summer. 

[oz_brett]

this will become a very long & dragged out thread.
My Choice = Aluminium

Reason = Fibreglass is quieter & smoother but keep in mind this is because the fibreglass flexes more then they alloy is this a good thing Im not so sure, in the alloy I slow down when its gets rough, looking after the boat & my body.

I can say I took a Formaosa for a run when I was in the market & I was impressed with the ride & handling also well made boats only there design didn't suit our needs. The whitley Ive never been in one but I do like them I always eye off the whitley weekender style boats nice design.

[Welster]

Every body always says it depends what you want to do with it.   Trouble is I want to do heaps of different stuff.   So I reckon  I need about three boats and two kayaks.

 

I haven't been in an alloy Surtees but like the idea of the water ballast.    

[kingfishbig]

13 hours ago, Welster said:

Every body always says it depends what you want to do with it.   Trouble is I want to do heaps of different stuff.   So I reckon  I need about three boats and two kayaks.

 

I haven't been in an alloy Surtees but like the idea of the water ballast.    

Yes at moment I am tossing up between  the Surtees 575 and the Quintrex Yellowfin 5800. The flooding keel with the Surtees is a good concept as weight is an asset when underway but they are still light to tow. Although for the money you don't actually get a lot of room with it's 2.1 m beam. The Yellowfin has a 2.4m beam and it is quite heavy - just the hull is 960 kg.

Edited July 29, 2017 by kingfishbig

[Fab1]

Very good responces from everyone.This is my non expert opinion.

Buy based on what you intend to do most often as you say.All boats like cars are a compromise and their will always be positives and negatives no matter  what you own.

Make sure you can afford to own,maintain and run that boat too.Because as they get bigger the cost for these things above Increases too.

In regards to boat configuration,you and only you can ultimately decide if a half cabin,centre console,runabout etc is going to suit you best.Again all have their pros/cons with them.

Hull material is ultimately up to you also as they can both take you fishing to the places you want to go.

The main thing to remember is that you wouldn't buy a tractor to race at Bathurst as much as you wouldn't buy a cruise liner to take up a shallow creek.

Stay within sensible boundaries between these two extreme examples and the boat you purchase will suit your needs the majority of the time.

Enjoy the boat hunting process and your new boat once you finally find it because the perfect boat to do everything you want has and never will exist.

Cheers.

[rickmarlin62]

weight in a hull is a good thing  especially in a working sea  your hull wont lift and bang as much heading into a chop..my mate that fishes with me all the time has a 5.5 stessl striker  but prefers to fish in my 4.8 vsea glass boat..better ride more comfortable and cheaper to run...I have a 60hp yammie he has a 130hp yammie...generally a glass boat in the same size as alloy will ride better be quieter to fish in when at anchor  and you don't have to worry about stray hooks or sinkers that disappear causing electrolysis in your hull....my thoughts  but everyones different in what they want..in a perfect world with flat comfortable seas a tinnie is fine but I fish a lot in ordinary conditions and love my little vsea for its ride and handling..our group that all fish together laughingly call tinnies bang bang boats for a good reason give me glass any day..rick

[rickmarlin62]

ps  boat shows on next week ..go have a good hard look at whats available..you might find something that takes your eye..also that give good deals at the show..rick

[GoingFishing]

On 28/07/2017 at 8:59 AM, PaddyT said:

For the type of fishing you do why wouldnt you get a center console- in a 17ft boat a half cab destroys a huge amount of usable space and you end up having to fishing "around" your boat rather than fishing "allaround" your boat. Al or glass doesnt matter that much for what you are trying to do

Thanks for the feedback everyone it all was very helpful

the one thing i love the most about my renegade is that i fish all four sides and dont have to waste time maneuvering the boat for wind and current. So yes i think a centre cab is a better option. The formosa have a centre cab which is a wrap around which is great but beyond my budget. 

So far im leaning towards the Formosa as it is definately the better fit for what i want to do. Added benefits of Lighter boat, smaller engine, less maintenance and less running costs too. 

 

On 29/07/2017 at 9:24 AM, rickmarlin62 said:

ps  boat shows on next week ..go have a good hard look at whats available..you might find something that takes your eye..also that give good deals at the show..rick

Thanks mate for your feedback. Taking you up on your advice and heading to the boat show on Sunday

Edited August 2, 2017 by GoingFishing

[JonD]

I've owned around 30 boats in my lifetime so far, only two have been aluminium. I didn't have good experianced from either of the two aluminium boat's bought by one of Australia's leading manufacturers, so its fibreglass only for me.

[GoingFishing]

26 minutes ago, JonD said:

I've owned around 30 boats in my lifetime so far, only two have been aluminium. I didn't have good experianced from either of the two aluminium boat's bought by one of Australia's leading manufacturers, so its fibreglass only for me.

Hi Jon

id love to hear your feedback on the two aluminium boats u owned and why u werent happy with ur experience

i have no loyalty when it comes to fibreglass or aluminium so all feedback positive or negative is welcome in the context of my decision making

[Guest Guest123456789]

Get a 6.2m plus tinny second hand 

[JonD]

19 hours ago, GoingFishing said:

Hi Jon

id love to hear your feedback on the two aluminium boats u owned and why u werent happy with ur experience

i have no loyalty when it comes to fibreglass or aluminium so all feedback positive or negative is welcome in the context of my decision making

Bought one of the first millennium hull quintrex's to come out of the factory. First run on Botany Bay I needed all three of my adult crew to sit on the starboard gunnel just to try and keep it level once on the plane. Boat went back to the dealer from the north shore who claimed to of sorted the issue but Unfortunatly it still handled the same ( they had fitted a plastic sport trim to the engine).  This did make the boat handle slightly better but if you hit any chop the boat felt like it was constantly trying to dig into the port side ( lean to the left ).

Boat went back to the dealers who found everything seemed to be ok, asked them if they had tested it on the water, which they hadn't. By this time they thought I was just a whinging Pom, but asked if I would take their fitter and mechanic out on the water. Headed up to palm beach where the boat drove ok in calm water but as soon as I hit a little wash from a passing boat the mechanic said take me back this thing is dangerouse as it dug into the left.

The boat was then shipped back to QLD where quintrex removed the floor and added extra ribs to the floor and some how managed to melt a hole through the large esky seat and leave deep scratches along the painted sides. The hull was full of deep bumps and dents from the added ribs.

I eventually got the boat back and headed out of Botany to the kink, not really noticing any improvement. On the way home the boat dug into the port side again so badly the boat almost overturned and my wife ended up going overboard injuring her back on rod holders as she went.

For the next few months I battled with quintrex who simply were not interested. I also contacted BIA and found when it comes to boats you have very little you can actually do in terms of compensation, simply because as long as the boat floated and traveled across the surface of the water they were pretty much in the clear.

7 months on after 4 trips to sea I sold the boat on at a loss of $14000. I informed the guy of all the dealings and problems I had had with the boat which he was ok with as he claimed he would only use it for calm river use. 3 weeks after the sale I was contacted by his insurance company as he was trying to claim $24000 which had been the price I had paid, the boat was claimed to of been stolen.

 

A few years ago after vowing to never buy another quintrex I bought another, this time a small red and white little 385 explorer with a 20 hp Honda. This was a great little boat and one of the higher spec models with carpeted floor and full fitout.

I always wash down my boats with saltaway and flush the engine but soon noticed after just a few months the paint blistering away around the rod holders and hand rails ( factory fittings). This seemed to be some sort of ellectricle corrosion which was even happening to my trailer, even the winch post was powdering up. I took the boat to my local boat dealer ( non quintrex dealer) who claimed they do that. On quintrex's defence there are many of their boats that don't suffer such problems, this was simply a dealer who wasn't bothered and that boat was fantastic apart fro dissolving.

After close to 12 months I lifted the floor to see if maybe a sinker or something had been dropped under the floor causing the problem. Eek I then saw how badly pitted the floor had become especially along the welds. At this same time my mate was having the same problems with his brooker which had been purchased from the local dealer mentioned earlier, only his was already leaking.

Anyway sold that at pretty much the value of the trailer and motor and have stayed away from aluminium since. My buddy with the brooker went on to buy a 6.4 trailcraf that cracked along the hull on a weld which converted him over to glass boats too.

Another mate has a 20 odd year old ali Stacer and the paint looks like new apart from fading, so it's either better materials or those who fitted out mine used the wrong materials.

[Welster]

2 hours ago, JonD said:

Bought one of the first millennium hull quintrex's to come out of the factory. First run on Botany Bay I needed all three of my adult crew to sit on the starboard gunnel just to try and keep it level once on the plane. Boat went back to the dealer from the north shore who claimed to of sorted the issue but Unfortunatly it still handled the same ( they had fitted a plastic sport trim to the engine).  This did make the boat handle slightly better but if you hit any chop the boat felt like it was constantly trying to dig into the port side ( lean to the left ).

Boat went back to the dealers who found everything seemed to be ok, asked them if they had tested it on the water, which they hadn't. By this time they thought I was just a whinging Pom, but asked if I would take their fitter and mechanic out on the water. Headed up to palm beach where the boat drove ok in calm water but as soon as I hit a little wash from a passing boat the mechanic said take me back this thing is dangerouse as it dug into the left.

The boat was then shipped back to QLD where quintrex removed the floor and added extra ribs to the floor and some how managed to melt a hole through the large esky seat and leave deep scratches along the painted sides. The hull was full of deep bumps and dents from the added ribs.

I eventually got the boat back and headed out of Botany to the kink, not really noticing any improvement. On the way home the boat dug into the port side again so badly the boat almost overturned and my wife ended up going overboard injuring her back on rod holders as she went.

For the next few months I battled with quintrex who simply were not interested. I also contacted BIA and found when it comes to boats you have very little you can actually do in terms of compensation, simply because as long as the boat floated and traveled across the surface of the water they were pretty much in the clear.

7 months on after 4 trips to sea I sold the boat on at a loss of $14000. I informed the guy of all the dealings and problems I had had with the boat which he was ok with as he claimed he would only use it for calm river use. 3 weeks after the sale I was contacted by his insurance company as he was trying to claim $24000 which had been the price I had paid, the boat was claimed to of been stolen.

 

A few years ago after vowing to never buy another quintrex I bought another, this time a small red and white little 385 explorer with a 20 hp Honda. This was a great little boat and one of the higher spec models with carpeted floor and full fitout.

I always wash down my boats with saltaway and flush the engine but soon noticed after just a few months the paint blistering away around the rod holders and hand rails ( factory fittings). This seemed to be some sort of ellectricle corrosion which was even happening to my trailer, even the winch post was powdering up. I took the boat to my local boat dealer ( non quintrex dealer) who claimed they do that. On quintrex's defence there are many of their boats that don't suffer such problems, this was simply a dealer who wasn't bothered and that boat was fantastic apart fro dissolving.

After close to 12 months I lifted the floor to see if maybe a sinker or something had been dropped under the floor causing the problem. Eek I then saw how badly pitted the floor had become especially along the welds. At this same time my mate was having the same problems with his brooker which had been purchased from the local dealer mentioned earlier, only his was already leaking.

Anyway sold that at pretty much the value of the trailer and motor and have stayed away from aluminium since. My buddy with the brooker went on to buy a 6.4 trailcraf that cracked along the hull on a weld which converted him over to glass boats too.

Another mate has a 20 odd year old ali Stacer and the paint looks like new apart from fading, so it's either better materials or those who fitted out mine used the wrong materials.

What a saga!

My Stacer had paint bubbling issues within months of leaving the factory.  All fittings where factory.  Despite washing after use and storing in a garage.

But some guys seem to get lucky with no issues for years. 

[kingfishbig]

Though plate aluminium boats are are very different kettle of fish compared to pressed ones.

[browncrab]

I took my 17 foot seafarer viking out a couple months ago in 2.4m swell to 12 mile. I passed three 7 meter aluminium boats on the way. One was a plate boat. I do go hard but would always recommend fiberglass if you are going to be fishing outside most of the time.

[rickmarlin62]

gotta luv seafarers..glass all the way..rick

[Sea Ranger]

Is there an age of Fiberglass you would say is too old?  Like is the 1980's or 70's just too old for FG?  If the Gelcoat is good and there isn't any cracks and the floor/transom seems solid is there a worry with older FG?

 

Bear