Glass vs. Aluminum

[baitcaster]

I have been going round and round about whether to sell my 2004 Lund fishermen and buying a glass boat that really has the same layout. Trying to decide whether the increase in cost will really be that much of an improvement. I do fish big water quite a bit. Any advice would be very welcome for those of you that have made the switch.

[PerchJerker]

Welcome to Fishing Minnesota.

I made the switch from aluminum to glass a few years ago and couldn't be happier. I use my boat on the Great Lakes, and on small metro lakes, and on canadian shield lakes, and on everything else in between.

I think the biggest downsides to glass are tougher to launch and load at shallow accesses, and even with a keel guard you need to be careful where you're beaching them (we have young kids and pull up on beaches and shorelines quite a bit).

Other than that, I love my glass boat. No complaints or regrets at all, in fact I couldn't be happier. The smoothness of the ride is really hard to describe, you really just need to experience it. My wife notices it more than I do.

I don't see myself going back to aluminum any time soon. Not until I'm ready to get a "small" fishing boat on a roller trailer.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

[Minnesota Fats]

Ahh, the great debate. I grew up in glass, and switched to aluminum when I got older. For me, glass is quieter and smoother, but the price you pay is weight, which makes you drink more gas towing it and also usually requires a bigger outboard to push it, which also makes you drink more gas using it. If I never had to tow and didn't have to drive longer distances to get to fishing holes, I'd be all over glass. But, since I do tow a lot and do put lots of miles on the boat, I have stayed with aluminum. Cost of ownership was the main driver for me.

[JDW]

The great debate is right! Problem is, it is tough to get a straight answer to this question.

My advice, first of all, would be to look at layout if the boat will be used for fishing. If you like everything about your Fisherman and are simply looking for a smoother ride, I suggest you find someone with the model of boat(s) you're looking at and take a test drive. Unless you are looking at increasing your boat's length along w/ going glass, you may find the ride isn't worth the money. Fiberglass is generally drier, but it does not provide the "miracle" ride as some portray it.

I've ridden in many, many different brands, models, and lenghts of boats while fishing different leagues and tournaments. I've owned both fiberglass and aluminum boats. The common denominator in the smoothest riding ones is longer length.

I think people are often misled by these posts b/c so many people go from small aluminum boats to large glass boats and boast to everyone about how awesome "glass" rides. When, in fact, the increase in length is the big reason for the improved ride. The fact is some aluminum boats ARE smoother than some fiberglass boats.

Now, if looks are the determining factor...that's a different story!

[Minnesota Fats]

Good point on the length, and absolutely right.

Also forgot to mention that another reason that I stick with aluminum is that I spend time on the canadian shield. Unexpected rocks + fiberglass = time in the driveway at home with the patch kit out.

[rodmaker]

I haven't made the switch, but will do soon (hopefully this season).

I have a 185 Alumacraft compeditor with a 75 Merc tiller. It's been a great boat. I do almost all of my fishing on Mille lacs.

If you can make the switch, do so!!!!

I've had the chance to fish in a 1895 YarCraft on Mille lacs three different times.

There is a HUGE difference from Aluminum to Glass. You do not take the heavy pounding as much, no doubt. There is NO boat that will keep you dry.

PerchJerker has been helpful sending me info.

There are disadvantages with the bunk vs roller trailer.

[fishorgolf]

My boat is docked on Mille Lacs so 80% of my fishing time is on ML the other 20% on LOTW, and other large lakes so to me the weight of glass is a plus. Smoother ride etc.

I have owned aluminum boats from 17.5 to 22.5 and they have all pounded me. Length did not seem to matter that much.

That said if I fished allot of diff. smaller lakes a smaller aluminum boat would be fine.

[PerchJerker]

 Originally Posted By: JDW

.... the increase in length is the big reason for the improved ride. The fact is some aluminum boats ARE smoother than some fiberglass boats.

Excellent post JDW with a lot of good info, although I don't agree with what I quoted above. Maybe you're correct, but I've never ridden in those aluminum boats or those glass boats

More length in any boat will definately smooth out the ride, but I'd still put my money on a better ride in a shorter glass boat than in a longer aluminum boat.

In my case my glass boat is only 1/2 foot longer than my aluminum boat and there's a huge difference in ride and staying dry.

In his original post baitcaster said he fishes big water quite a bit ----- I think the benefits of fiberglass are even more noticable on bigger water than on smaller water.

[JDW]

 Originally Posted By: PerchJerker

More length in any boat will definately smooth out the ride, but I'd still put my money on a better ride in a shorter glass boat than in a longer aluminum boat.

Uh oh! You lost me here! What size fiberglass boat do you own and what size aluminum boats have you ridden in for comparison?

I probably should have qualified my original post by saying my experience is primarily in 19'-21' boats.

[Schloogs]

I'm not trying to hijack here baitcaster but I have a question. Now I don't know anything about boats other than I have one, it floats, and I like to fish out of it. But what gives a boat its 'smooth' ride? So far I have read length and weight. What else, does depth of boat or width of boat make a differnce? Once again baitcaster, sorry if I am hijacking here.

[baitcaster]

Thanks everyone on FM for the great advice on glass vs. aluminum. The boat I am looking at getting is the Stratos 386 XF. The fishermen and the Stratos are laid out the same and are very similar in size. That is why I am debating whether it is worth the increased cost of going to a glass boat. I do spend 2 -3 weeks a summer in Canada also. That is one of the reasons why I am dragging my heals some. I enjoy the responses.

[fishorgolf]

Schloogs, Hull design is another factor in quality of ride and staying dry. And with glass more can be done with curves etc. (I am sure someone can explain this better than me.) But I have also heard somewhere there is a new Aluminum process coming out that will improve this, how much i don't know.

[PerchJerker]

 Originally Posted By: JDW

What size fiberglass boat do you own and what size aluminum boats have you ridden in for comparison?

My glass boat is 18.5 feet, my aluminum boat prior to that was 18 feet. I've been in several makes / models of glass and aluminum boats that are 18-21 feet long, and I just don't think there's an aluminum boat out there that's going to ride smoother and drier than fiberglass especially when the wind and waves kick up. In good conditions you'll get a great ride in an aluminum boat, but when it gets sloppy on the water is when the differences really become noticable.

[Capt. Don*]

There are factors that affect ride quality and the dryness of the ride that are completely dependant on hull design. Any boat is capable of pounding given the right amount of speed and sea conditions, I've personally been able to make 60' glass boats pound, they weighed in at over 20 tons. One of the biggest factors is hull degree of deadrise and how far back to the stern that deadrise is carried. There has to be a balance of speed and sea keeping ability when designing a hull. Most boats in the 16-28 foot range are considered small and speed seems to be the more important factor to most builders in that range, while ride quailty comes in second because of how the average owner will use it, ie. the weather is bad, the boats staying at the dock. Shallower deadrise (flatter stern) can go faster with less power than steeper deadrise(more vee at the stern) with the same power. Steep deadrise hulls can go very fast, provided there is enough power available, and will ride much, much better in chop at higher speed.

How dry of a ride is dependant on bow flair, few production aluminum boats have little if any flair, glass hulls can have as much flair as the builder wants to put in. Look at a boat built with "carolina flair" and you will see what I mean. The more flair, the dryer the ride if you are able to run on plane becuase you can drive past the spray before the wind catches it, unless you run a tiller, then you may get a little water.If conditions are such that you have to slow down enough, no matter how much flair, you're getting wet when the wind picks up the splash and blows it at you, if you run a tiller, you're soaked.

Aluminum is arguably the best material to build any boat out of if it is built right, not the cookie cutter models of the popular builders in this region, but welded aluminum hulls, which seem to be more popular in the northwest, can be done to equal or surpass a glass boat and durability and toughness is second to none. It all boils down to what sells and how many corners need to be cut in order to keep the bean counters happy in the corporate offices.

[rodmaker]

Length of the boat, weight, width. You can only bend aluminum so much.

On glass boats, they are molded in a way that it pushes water away from the hull on the sides. You cut through the water much more with a glass boat instead of the hard pounding on aluminum.

All I know there is no comparison between my Alumacraft 185 and my Cousines Yarcraft 1895. His is SO MUCH SMOOTHER. Not even close

[Pat K]

baitcaster, last year I went from a 16' Lund Pro-Sport to the 18' 386XF.

I loved my Lund but I couldn't go back to it now!

I realize there is a 2' legnth and 11" width difference, but the ride is so much smoother in the Stratos it's unbelievable.

[bassNspear]

one word

GLASS

[Rost]

I have ridden in both glass and aluminum and I am still not sure there is as a HUGE difference like some say. I do believe that glass is smoother, but not exactly night and day smoother. A rough day on the water is a rough day regardless of what boat you are in. 3 years ago, while fishing the FLW out on Lake Erie I rode in two Ranger 620's and a ProV 2025. All 3 days I came back soaking wet and beat to a pulp. Fished a tourney in a 620 Ranger on Big Stone last August. We ran neck and neck with a ProV on the way up the lake in 30 mph winds for about 1/2 mile. I watched them as we ran side by side and they didn't seem to be doing too bad. I checked on them after the tourney and they made it through without having to report to the hospital or anything.

I believe that glass is smoother, but some aluminum boats are more fishable especially when it comes to both rod storage and misc storage compartments in the gunwhale.

[rodmaker]

When it's rough on the water you are going to get wet. Unless you have something 30+ ft. which is a launch. Glass is smoother.

I think you will see more glass boats coming out with more storage and floor space. On some of the new Warrior tillers, you should see the rod locker space.

[Minnesota Fats]

Also, aluminum is only more durable than glass when it is not made into radical shapes and configurations, which is why most aluminum boats are similar in shape. Welding aluminum is not the preferred joining method for a boat application, riveting is. That is why planes, ships, bridges, and other metal structures in dynamic and high-vibration applications are not welded, they are riveted. Also, when you bend aluminum in radical configurations, it becomes work-hardened which makes it very brittle and not durable in torsion or vibration. The only way to fix this would be to anneal it after it was shaped, and that would be much too expensive of a process for the average boat maker. When aluminum boat makes stick to traditional shapes, they are more durable than glass. However, if you want a dry ride, and therefore need section shapes that are non-traditional, glass is the way to go.

[JDW]

Very well put, Rost. Anyone that has much experience riding in the two will say exactly that. If you're getting pounded in a 2025 Pro-V or a 202 Crestliner, you're going to get pounded in ANY fiberglass boat of the same length, as well.

I say that as caution to anyone that reads these posts and expects a miracle. If you are seriously looking to buy a "smoother" boat, you're best bet is to buy a longer boat, be it glass or aluminum.

[Capt. Don*]

With all due respect, I am not trying to start any arguments, but the reason the production aluminum boats are riveted is the alloy and material thickness, which boils down to cost. Welding is actually the preferred method of construction when it comes to ABS standards and for inspected commercial vessels the only method. Large ships haven't been riveted for many, many years, they are welded plate construction. One of my boats is a 62' welded aluminum boat, built in 1973, never painted, running thousands of miles per season on Lake Superior and performs remarkably after all these years and is inspected by the USCG every year to make sure.

There are some really good welded aluminum production boats made, I've been on them in snotty conditions and was suprised by how well the rode, not taking anything away fron glass, I own a glass boat as well and like it, its 32' long and capable of 50+MPH, anything but a launch. Aluminum welded boats work very well and are capable of being designed way different than what we're used to seeing around here, and they are way tougher than glass.

[Minnesota Fats]

I'm not disagreeing with you that there are welded boats, and that there are nice, durable, long lasting welded boats, especially commercial applications with hull thicknesses greater than .200". My point is that rivets are called out for sheet metal applications where reliability and safety are important, not for low cost. Welding, especially CNC welding (robotic welders) is much cheaper than riveting because it is a single operation that is forgiving vs. riveting takes multiple operations and takes tighter tolerancing to do it correctly. I am a mechanical engineer, I have been in metalworking for years, and I'm not asking you to take my word for it - there is an incredible amount of information on rivet vs. weld applications out there at your library or on the web. Sheet metal welds simply do not provide good shear strength, period, until you get to material thickness well over .200". I am also not trying to start an argument and do respect your experience and opinion very much, just trying to present a technical opinion.

[Minnesota Fats]

Also Capt. Don, you are 100% right, when designed correctly, aluminum is far, far tougher than glass.

[JohnMickish]

Are we discussing tougher or smoother riding? I don't think anyone is agruing that metal is tougher than strands of glass fiber, until we get into the whole carbon fiber and other composits, but that's another can of worms. I believe this post is about recreational fishing boats, not commercial boats, airplanes or bridges.

I've been in both glass and aluminum boats (Pro V's and Rangers) on the same bodies of water and I'll take glass any day. If the pilot knows how to drive his boat glass is both smoother and drier in the same conditions. If you want to you can make a glass boat pound if thats your thing and you can make an aluminum boat run pretty smooth but overall IMO glass is nicer. I'm pretty sure the object is to keep it off the rocks anyways so agian IMO the "tougher" subject is a moot point.