The Benefits of Aluminum Boats

What makes buying an aluminum boat your best choice? Aluminum is an extremely robust material, which makes aluminum boats a more maintenance free option creating a longer, more enjoyable boat season for the owner. You will notice that most government agencies deploy aluminum hauled boats to cope with our rocky coastal beaches and shallow inland waters. Aluminum boats are the best option as a workhorse or pleasure boat! The benefits of owning an aluminum boat are plentiful. Some are fairly obvious but there are a few key points that some boaters may not have considered.

 

Types of Aluminum Construction

Generally speaking, there are two types of aluminum construction: there are riveted boats and welded boats. Most of the benefits apply to both types but welded construction is in our opinion the better option. Welded construction is stiffer and naturally immune to leaks that are inherent with riveted seams. That’s why the soon to be launched Adventure Marine hulls are fully welded above and below the water line. Yes, you read correctly – Adventure Marine is bringing the ‘Adventure Series’ of boats to market! There is more freedom and latitude in hull designs which can be modified to suit customer demands should something nonstandard be requested.

 

Strength of Aluminum Hauls

Coming back to the strength, aluminum is considerably stiffer than fiberglass providing more rigidity using less material. Fiberglass tends to fracture with impact whereas aluminum by its nature is tough and malleable allowing it to take more of a beating. It has a low modulus of elasticity which allows it to be deformed permanently without rupture, absorbing any impact. The major benefit of this is the less overall weight which has a cascading effect on performance and boat fuel economy. There will be less power required to move the lighter hull.

 

Performance of Aluminum Boats

A comparable fiberglass hulled boat would require a bigger, higher horsepower engine to get its extra weight up to the same speed as the aluminum version which of course is detrimental to performance and your wallet. Not just the boat fuel economy is affected, it’s cheaper and easier for you and your tow vehicle to manage in the long run as well. Then, there’s maintenance and general care of aluminum hulls.

 

Aluminum Boat Maintenance

Aluminum has excellent corrosion resistance. This corrosion resistance allows the owner to go from salt water to fresh water without issue. That combined with its immunity to ultraviolet light can stretch the lifespan to 30 plus years which of course bodes well for resale value or the passing of the boat to the next generation. Fiberglass hulls get brittle over time and UV radiation damages the gel coat. Aluminum hulls can be beached without any major concerns and relaunched with ease, resealed and patched more quickly should any damage occur, more easily than their fiberglass counterparts. The general appearance of the aluminum hulls tends to clean up better and show better.

In closing, the last point to make is that the aluminum hulls are 100% recyclable at the end of it’s long and dutiful life. Boaters love the environment and strive to keep the waterways clean and pure with minimal impact.

Adventure Marine sets high standards for our people and products and we have very big plans to service our customers better with new product lines, service, and support. Keep informed on the latest developments here on our blog or sign up for our newsletter.

Do forward this article to anyone that would find this information useful or is considering a boat purchase (we don’t mind)!