Steel/Tupperware

[Guest]

and I'm pretty certain that if boatbuilders a century ago had had access to marine plywood, epoxy resin and glass cloth, they'd have used them without a second thought.

 

of course they wood...

[DandV]

On land the term is “horses for courses”

Afloat “floaters for boaters?”

Steel is extremely robust, it is heavy so not favoured by he “go fast” brigade either under sail of power because the extra mass absorbs a lot of power. It requires constant corrosion control maintenance. A lot of the required hull maintenance is beyond DYI however the required skills are readily obtained.

Heavy gauge marine grade aluminium is expensive but provides a much lighter hull for the same robustness and with considerably less corrosion control maintenance. Hull maintenance/ repairs is specialised and the required skills less readily available.

GRP again provides a much lighter hull.. Corrosion control maintenance is minimal and small repairs are DYI. However it does not offer the resistance to serious impact damage of steel or heavy gauge aluminium,

Wooden boats all require constant maintenance of the timber preservative coatings to prevent rot

Planked wooden construction is heavy and reasonably robust. Minor repairs are DYI but major stuff requires specialist skills and good timber both of which are getting harder to source.

Ply type construction is light and construction, repair and maintenance are all suitable for competent DYI.

And then there are inflatables

 

We have four boats; two GRP canoes and one polyethylene one , and one Aluminium dingy that spends it entire life outside. Our next boat will be a steel narrowboat. In the meantime most of my time afloat is on a 23 ton restored 19th gaff rigged cutter, race crewing, painting and varnishing.

 

Cheers Don

[ChrisPy]

And then there are inflatables

common sense at last ------------ an self-fendering inflatable narrowboat that fits in a camping trailer

 

it'll even squeeze through narrowed locks.

Edited August 17, 2010 by ChrisPy

[Mick and Maggie]

I just can't see why somebody who wanted to build a boat at the start of the 21st century would choose to do so using techniques and materials that haven't changed much in over 200 years.

 

For some people - that's exactly the reason why they would!

 

M&M