Ah, shopping around for an aluminum fishing boat? You’ve come to the right place. Here I’ve put together some handy information all about them.
Hull designs are usually a semi-V or flat bottom. Boats with the flat bottom as generally known as johnboats. The boats are designed to navigate well through shallow water to get to the best fishing spots. Bass fisherman particularly like these kinds of boats.
Aluminum boats are nice because they are lightweight. That makes it easier to load and unload in your trailer, in the back of your pickup or even on top of your car. This is particular nice if you’re going out fishing alone. You can do it all yourself.
And the lighter weight translates into using less fuel to power them across the water and less fuel to tow them.
Unlike wood boats, the aluminum fishing boat has superior protection against water penetration. It’s sections are bonded or welded together, not riveted. That makes it totally waterproof. Plus, not only is the boat stronger, it’s also quieter.
Another advantage of aluminum over say wood or fiberglass is durability. Try smacking a fiberglass boat hull against a hidden obstacle just below the surface and see how long you stay afloat. Same with wood. They’re not particularly forgiving when it comes to hitting anything. Aluminum will just dent and you can hammer it out later. Unless you ram something immovable at cruising speed, in which case I hope you have your life preserver on and have your insurance paid up.
When talking about how strong aluminum fishing boats are, the engineers say things like, “high strength to weight ratio”. That’s just another way of saying it’s light and strong considering it’s size. For the same size and weight in wood or fiberglass, you’re looking at much weaker performance.
Typically, boat buyers choose aluminum fishing boats because they cost less, have a simple design, are easy to customize and last a long time.
When it comes to routine maintenance, aluminum fishing boats are the clear choice when compare to wood or fiberglass hulls. With aluminum, you just need to wash it off and occasionally check for stress cracks around the motor mount. With fiberglass or wood, you need to do that plus commit to a paint job every so often. While this could be a do-it-yourself job, it’s better left to a professional unless you really know what you’re doing.
Not only do aluminum fishing boats cost less at the start, overall they’re a much better value in the long run. If you’re in the market for something sleek and flashy, aluminum isn’t going to satisfy your need. In that case fiberglass is the hands down winner. With its smooth lines and sparkle metallic finishes a fiberglass boat is one to impress. But for practical value, aluminum is the way to go.
Some of the top manufacturers of aluminum fishing boats include Alumacraft Boats, Lowe Boats, Lund Boats Co., Duroboat Company, Starcraft Boats, Duckworth Boat Works Inc., War Eagle Boats, SeaArk Boats, Weld-Craft Aluminum Boats, Sylvan, and Marathon Marine.