Bigkat650
Well-known member
Aluminum, purely as a building material, is better option then wood in almost all circumstances when building on an aluminum boat. Primary reasons are that it last longer without fear of rot or warping, and it is lighter then wood.
With that being said, there are other factors which can determine which is right for you. If you are on a budget, wood as a building material is more readily available, and cost less then if you are buying aluminum at retailer. Yes, there are added expenses, such as bolts, screws and sealer which will bring the cost closer to aluminum, however it is still less expensive to purchase and use wood as your primary building material.
You can make the argument if you purchase aluminum from a scrap yard, it cost less. This very well could be true, but not everyone has access to a scrap yard that has aluminum angle. A similar argument could be made that I could cut down a tree in my back yard and mill up some 2x2's for free.
Now if you plan on keeping and using the boat for 20+ years, you will probably have to replace much of your wood--in which case the aluminum is a better long-term investment.
For me, wood was the right choice. I have a very tight budget; I'm OK if it doesn't last 20 years, as I only plan on using it a few seasons before I upgrade. When I upgrade, the boat will be worth less then the amount of money I have into it--so I would just assume that I take less of a hit on it, and build it as cost-effective now as possible.
With that being said, there are other factors which can determine which is right for you. If you are on a budget, wood as a building material is more readily available, and cost less then if you are buying aluminum at retailer. Yes, there are added expenses, such as bolts, screws and sealer which will bring the cost closer to aluminum, however it is still less expensive to purchase and use wood as your primary building material.
You can make the argument if you purchase aluminum from a scrap yard, it cost less. This very well could be true, but not everyone has access to a scrap yard that has aluminum angle. A similar argument could be made that I could cut down a tree in my back yard and mill up some 2x2's for free.
Now if you plan on keeping and using the boat for 20+ years, you will probably have to replace much of your wood--in which case the aluminum is a better long-term investment.
For me, wood was the right choice. I have a very tight budget; I'm OK if it doesn't last 20 years, as I only plan on using it a few seasons before I upgrade. When I upgrade, the boat will be worth less then the amount of money I have into it--so I would just assume that I take less of a hit on it, and build it as cost-effective now as possible.
