Why Aluminium

STRENGTH – Twice that of steel and one third greater than GRP, weight for weight.  Boats can be built stronger and lighter and that means less power and fuel for the same performance.

 

TOUGHNESS – Aluminium is well able to take all the knocks and a big impact is more likely to leave a dent than a hole.

 

LIGHTWEIGHT - Savings on fuel, increase of speed and range, reductions of draft, increase of payload are among the many benefits for better efficiency in both engineering and financial terms.

 

EASY MAINTENEANCE – Painting is only to improve appearance or to prevent fouling.  Many hard working aluminium boats have never seen paint in years of use.  This gives big savings in maintenance coats and means that aluminium boats are always ready to go when others are looking for servicing.  Aluminium has a very hard surface film protecting it.  If rubbed off the film immediately reforms to maintain the hard surface.  Aluminium does not rely on a gel coat or paint scheme to prevent deterioration but will be good for many years.

 

EASY TO REPAIR – welding, riveting or bolting, any damage can be immediately repaired with patches.  No delays whilst waiting for drying out, curing or repainting.  No delays for temperature or weather conditions.  Aluminium boats can be repaired and are back in service in the shortest possible time.

Strength, lightness, and durability are the intrinsic benefits of marine aluminium over other materials. It is virtually impervious to corrosion, light compared to steel, and far tougher than GRP. The criticism has been that the finish is not as good as “plastic” moulded craft. To some extent this is true but modern techniques of construction, and surface finishes, are constantly improving.