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Exploring the Hull Material Used in Modern Boat Design - SHM Blog Aug 16, �� In my first article on boat-building, 7 tips to Building an Aluminum Boat Successfully the First Time, I touched on some of the hard-fought lessons I learned on my first boat myboat299 boatplans goal was to save you from some of the traps I fell into, even after years of working as a welder. Building boats isn�t easy; mistakes compound quickly and your credit card might have to pick up the slack. Aluminum boats using welded marine alloy construction are strong, lightweight, durable, and easy to maintain. As with steel, the designs should be specifically intended for this material. Plans listed for aluminum construction include all the details necessary to build the boat in sheet aluminum. A significant portion of the custom building of larger yachts is done in aluminum, and some builders produce stock aluminum boats. This is due to the high strength to weight ratio of aluminum being attractive where speed is a prime consideration.
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The simplest articles have been those done from popsicle sticks. What people plead with as an "accident" is de facto usually a unavoidable result of vulnerable operative practices. That is such the great lens. Your work is the loyal square of art in further to unsentimental .

This is called galvanic corrosion. So you will have to install a sacrificial anode. You will also have to replace this quite often, on average every couple of years, but in some conditions every couple of months, or even weeks. I recommend to use OEM anodes. If you don't want to, this is the kit you want click to check current price on Amazon.

Make sure everyone who steps onboard puts all of their cash change in a jar. You don't want any metals in your hull. A copper coin that's left unseen can ultimately sink you. If you add an electric current to this process, it speeds up the corrosion. This is called electrolytic corrosion. This can happen if you have a short in your electrical wiring. Aluminum, in particular, can corrode away very quickly this way.

So you need to make sure your wiring is properly insulated. You don't want any electrical current running through your hull! In general, you need to be extra careful with electrical systems and wiring on an aluminum boat. You also need to pay attention to the marina. If you dock your boat besides steel boats, this can increase the galvanic corrosion.

If you add dock power to the mix, your baby starts devouring anodes like it's chicken noodles. Aluminum also needs a lot of attention paint wise. All fittings and the bottom needs to be painted more often than fiberglass. It's important to keep up with corrosion; once saltwater comes between your fittings, there's no stopping it. But the horror material some Aluminum Boat Building Materials 50 people claim aluminum to be is just not true.

There are experienced sailors out there with tens of thousands of miles on there aluminum hull, that still use the original paint. They only repaint the bottom every couple of years. What is the best material for a boat? The best material for a boat depends on the water and sailing conditions, but generally aluminum is the ultimate boat building material.

It has a very good strength-to-weight ratio, which is important for a boat. It does, however, require proper maintenance. Especially in saltwater, it needs quite some maintenance, due to electrolysis. Is aluminum stronger than fiberglass?

Aluminum is up to 10 times stronger than fiberglass. It's one of the strongest hull materials if properly built. Fiberglass will crack on impact, which creates leaks. Aluminum doesn't crack as easily and is famous for never leaking. Aluminum is, however, prone to galvanic corrosion, which fiberglass is not.

What's the difference between galvanic corrosion and electrolysis? Electrolysis is an oxidation process in which metals corrode when submerged into an electrolyte. It leads to galvanic corrosion. The most anode metal will eventually corrode.

When an electrical current is added to the electrolyte, it speeds up the corrosion process; we call this electrolytic corrosion. Thanks for a very useful and well done story comparing the two materials.

Makes aluminum look more interesting - like Garcia boats. Well done! Shawn, Thanks for the good article. Please see www. I still think aluminum is the finest boat building material available for sailboats. But why would you? Agreed, aluminum does not like paint.

And fortunately, it does not NEED paint. Our Holy Grail is only painted under the waterline and on deck to create a nonskid walking surface. Otherwise, paint is not needed.

In 29 years of service, the underbody primer coat of paint has remained perfect. It was applied correctly and has served as a barrier coat which has never needed renewing. Further, it is that crucial coat that protects the alu. Does anyone have any experience with Herley Solar Power Catamarans? Is the company known for good build quality? A sailboat doesn't have to be expensive if you know what you're doing.

If you want to learn how to make your sailing dream reality within a year, leave your email and I'll send you free updates. I don't like spam - I will only send helpful content. Did you find the answer to your specific question? Thanks Steve Thanks for a very useful and well done story comparing the two materials. Howard Conant Shawn, Thanks for the good article. Leave a comment. Thus 10GA.

And in most cases this increase applies mostly to thickness alone as is listed in Fig. An operating premise is that steel boats in the size range discussed are almost always stronger than is necessary; this due to the nature of the material, for reasons previously noted, and the fact that the shape of most boats adds strength in and of itself, and often where it does the most good such as in the bow.

So using the example, 10GA. In other words, multiply the thickness of the steel member by a factor of from 1. Tip: Start with 1. The point is, many alternatives can be used to build an aluminum boat with largely the same results in terms of strength, durability, etc. In the above and referring to Fig. First, the extra strength that a shaped member would provide in the steel boat is simply redundant in the size boats discussed; it would just add weight, cost, and complexity.

Second, shaped members add to the difficulties of inspection, maintenance, and corrosion protection in the steel boat; for example, the ability to see and coat the underside flanges is difficult, especially when such members are small. However, in the aluminum boat in Fig. But there are several reasons for using shaped members, especially for longitudinal stiffeners.

First, such members are stronger. Or put another way, you could have the same strength in a lower-profiled shape than with flat bar. And the added strength in the aluminum boat is a plus. Another benefit might be more usable interior volume. They tend not to be so floppy, and bend more uniformly than flat bar. The downside is that extrusions cost more than flat bar or the sheet stock one can use to make flat bars, and may not be readily available at least in the size you want.

If working from stock plans for an aluminum boat, the designer probably specified certain sizes, types, and alloys of members for framing, etc. But deviations may be possible.

Most designs have some latitude in alternates that can be substituted. Channels can be made from split square or rectangular tubing, or even split pipe if somewhat larger than the specified channel. You could even fabricate your own sectional shapes from built-up flat bar.

Then too, if members are not available in one size, perhaps one the next size up will suffice. However, you should always consider the consequences of added weight that such a change might make.

Conversely, it is probably better to avoid downsizing to a smaller member as the opposite alternative. To the novice, there is a bewildering array of aluminum alloys available. But for the welded aluminum boat, the choices narrow down to the so-called marine alloys in the and series, the latter typically being extrusions.

Yet even within these series there are still many alternatives. But the most common, readily available, and suitable for welded boat hulls include: H32 H34 H H32 H H However, the designer may have already taken this into consideration if is specified. Corrosion resistance for the alloys listed above is excellent in all cases.

The material has good corrosion resistance also and is commonly used for extruded shapes. Early aluminum boats were often made with closely-spaced transverse frames with few, if any, longitudinals, a carry-over from traditional wood boatbuilding no doubt.

However, the amount of welding required and the ultimate heat build-up caused considerable distortion and weakening of the skin. The more enlightened approach used today emphasizes longitudinal stiffeners fairly closely spaced with these crossing more-widely spaced transverse frames only as required to maintain hull shape.

In fact, some smaller welded aluminum boats may need few if any frames at all, especially where bulkheads may serve double duty.

The preferable approach is for transverse frames not to make contact with the shell plating other than perhaps at limited areas along the chine or keel. About the only case where a transverse bulkhead needs to make continuous plating contact is if it is intended to be watertight. Even then, such a practice tends to distort the plating and is often readily visible on the outside of the boat. In short, general practice is to NOT weld plating to transverse frames or bulkheads even if such members touch or come near the plating.

The chine is the junction between the bottom and side on a v-bottom or flat bottom boat. On high-speed planing boats, this corner should be as crisp are possible, especially in the aft half of the hull. The reason is that water should break free from the hull to reduce frictional drag at speed, and not climb up the topsides.

As shown before, Fig. Otherwise, a backing member is largely optional. If a special extrusion as discussed before is available, these are acceptable. Side and bottom plating fit into the slots which are then welded continuously. From an appearance standpoint, a continuous inside weld looks best. However, such extrusions are often proprietary items or otherwise prohibitive in cost, and a problem to buy and ship in small quantities.

Completing the ends of such extrusions where they join to transom and stem areas is also not always easy for the builder making a single boat. However, if the protruding flange is too pronounced, there may be a tendency to hang up on rocks in certain boats such as whitewater boats, or snag debris and catch pilings in other types of boats depending on their use.

Otherwise, round bar bends around frames easily and gives a well-defined boundary to work to when fitting side and bottom plates. A temporary chine backing member may help in this regard. In this case the bottom is fitted first and cut with care along the chine line a temporary backing member may aid in fitting. Then topsides are installed, letting the edge overhang the junction a distance as required to form the spray deflector flat. While a good design, this configuration also takes care to assure fair lines.

As mentioned, on the modern aluminum hull, most plating is reinforced by longitudinals. While a good set of plans will specify what to use for these members, this does not necessarily rule out another alternative if what is specified is not available. These are available in many sizes, often in the form of extrusions with radiused edges that facilitate welding, or you can cut your own from plate.

Other stiffeners are often extruded shapes that can get costly and may not be as readily available in the sizes needed. When installing longitudinals, bending can present problems depending on curvature and member type. One approach some builders take to reduce bending effort is to gore members along their flanges as in Fig.

An alternative that provides much the same effect is the tee-bar in 'C'; this is easy to bend and is usually readily available. However, if the protruding flange is too pronounced, there may be a tendency to hang Aluminum Boat Building Materials Industry up on rocks in certain boats such as whitewater boats, or snag debris and catch pilings in other types of boats depending on their use.

A lower cost alternative is a simple round bar in 'D'; this adds abrasion protection to an often vulnerable corner. But if too large a diameter, won't provide the crisp edge needed for higher-speed planing boats you could add a flat bar deflector edge-wise against the bar slightly above the corner that might help, however.

Otherwise, round bar bends around frames easily and gives a well-defined boundary to work to when fitting side and bottom plates. A simple corner joint with side and bottom butting together as in 'A' is technically feasible, but is more difficult to fit and make fair. A temporary chine backing member may help in this regard.

In this case the bottom is fitted first and cut with care along the chine line a temporary backing member may aid in fitting. Then topsides are installed, letting the edge overhang the junction a distance as required to form the spray deflector flat.

While a good design, this configuration also takes care to assure fair lines. As mentioned, on the modern aluminum hull, most plating is reinforced by longitudinals. While a good set of plans will specify what to use for these members, this does not necessarily rule out another alternative if what is specified is not available. The cheapest and most easily obtained is the simple flat bar 'A'.

These are available in many sizes, often in the form of extrusions with radiused edges that facilitate welding, or you can cut your own from plate. Other stiffeners are often extruded shapes that can get costly and may not be as readily available in the sizes needed.

Angles as in 'B' are usually easy to get and have good strength to weight, but the asymmetrical shape may make bending in two planes difficult. Tee's 'C' present a symmetrical shape that forms more easily. Inverted channels 'D' are also an effective stiffener, but rectangular tubes 'F' , and "I's" 'E' are largely overkill since that portion of the member against the hull adds weight with little or no gain in strength, but at a higher cost.

On the other hand, the special hull stiffening channel configuration sometimes available as in 'G' makes an effective stiffener. A less effective member strength-wise is the split pipe or tube as in 'H' which is sometimes also stocked as a ready-made stiffener.

When installing longitudinals, bending can present problems depending on curvature and member type. One approach some builders take to reduce bending effort is to gore members along their flanges as in Fig. This idea is sound, but the execution takes care to assure fair curves.

Good practice also calls for radiusing the corners at the gores slightly to minimize hard spots against the plating. Avoid over-welding, and completely around the ends of each cut. This allows a strong fillet weld on both sides of the junction the inside weld can be intermittent. A simple corner junction here as in Fig.

In fact, some builders extend the bottom plating considerably past the transom on faster planing hulls to form integral non-adjustable trim tabs. These can later be bent down slightly if required for best performance and then bracketed to the transom once an optimum position has been found. Transom thickness technically need be no more than that of the side or bottom plating. Additional thickness may be required - at least in the area of the cut-out - either through the use of doublers or thick inserts.

A thicker insert is preferable at a cutout to avoid the need to seal joints between doublers by welding. Where thin plating meets thicker plating, bevel the thicker edge at a slope equal to at least three times the thickness of the thinner plate see Fig.

The insert should have rounded corners rather than being a hard square or rectangular Aluminum Boat Building Materials Network shape. There is an on-going debate as to whether welded aluminum boats should be made as light as possible via light plating and framing but with more of it , or with heavier plating using minimal but also somewhat huskier framing members.

A boat built with light plating and framing is lighter in weight for more-economical operation, has a higher speed for a given power, is more-easily trailered, has greater payload, and because it has less material, will cost less. Advocates of heavier plating and framing counter that thicker plating is stiffer which better resists flexing, twist, and fatigue, won't dent as easily, and will deter longer any effects of corrosion.

Then too, they claim thicker plating is less prone to distortion by welding heat and it's easier to make stronger joints since it's more likely that both sides of joints can be welded without problems or defects. In addition, thicker members are often easier to handle and work since they resist distortion and are not so "floppy".

Who's right? As a designer I feel there's validity in both camps, but with some qualifiers. First, there is a natural tendency among builders in any material to over-build and second-guess the designer, even when a boat uses the heavier plating approach initially.

The typical idea is that if so much is good, then a little more must be better. The result is that such boats weigh more than the designer predicted. And who gets the blame when the boat doesn't perform up to predictions? You guessed it - NOT the builder. In other words, I'd favor the latter change but might question a plating increase.

Much depends on the boat and its expected service. For pleasure boats, I tend to favor lighter scantlings, but for more rigorous duty, heavier construction may be justified. However, rather than simply increase plating thickness, you might get similar results by adding a few more internal stiffening members instead. An appealing possibility on metal boats is tanks integral with the hull, which is acceptable for diesel fuel but not gasoline. Because the hull shell plating provides one or more of the tank sides, and internal tank members can double as hull stiffening members, such tanks can save material and add capacity without taking up more room.

However, I favor separate tanks for boats less than about 40' for the following reasons. First, tanks might be of such a size or located in such a position that welding tight seams all around the perimeter is difficult if not impractical. Second, because full welds are required, there is a greater chance of heat buildup and ultimate hull plating distortion. Finally, special consideration must be given at the intersections of tank ends, hull stiffening members, and internal tank baffles when required.

Attempting to fit and weld tank ends tightly around stiffeners that pass through the tank is tedious if not impossible. Instead, hull stiffeners should stop at tank ends, with similar members cut and fitted inside, or with internal baffles installed in line with such stiffeners as substitutes and to maintain continuity.

Conversely separate tanks built outside the hull are physically easier to manipulate during assembly and welding, easier to test and assure integrity, easier to repair or replace, and not as likely to suffer damage in a collision. Aluminum tank thickness is sometimes shown as a function of tank capacity such as the following:. To 50 Gals:. However, for practical purposes, most tanks should be at least. Thicker tanks also require less stiffening, and since plating material is usually suitable, no special thinner stock need be ordered as might be implied from the above list.

Water and waste holding tanks should be coated on the inside to prevent corrosion from impurities and the effects of aluminum hydroxide precipitation that can turn water "milky". Also provide striker plates or doublers on the bottom under sounding tubes if being used to prevent damage to the inside of the tank.

All tank tops should be canted, sloped, or cambered so condensation or moisture will drain off the tops.

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