A major issue for prospective boat buyers is deciding which type of material to choose for their boat. A boat is a significant investment, and with so many different options available it can be difficult to decide which material best suits your unique needs while still fitting into your budget. One fishing boat material in particular has many advantages over the others – Aluminum.

Aluminum is an excellent material for both fishing and skiing boats as it is flexible and can spring-back on impact without breaking, unlike fibreglass which is more brittle and tends to crack on impact.

The advantages of aluminum extend beyond durability, however. As a metal aluminum is naturally fireproof unlike wood and also fibreglass which tends to contain flammable resins.

All boats require maintenance, but when compared to other materials aluminum requires significantly less upkeep. As an organic material, wooden boats naturally weaken and rot over time even if they are properly maintained. Fibreglass boats are also prone to weakening over time due to impact and stress from the sun which can deteriorate the strength of the boat.

Boats made of aluminum have a reputation for being more expensive than fibreglass ones, and pound for pound this is the case. But this metric is misleading, as aluminum boats weigh far less than comparable fibreglass boats. It takes about 3,500 pounds of fibreglass to make a boat of similar strength to a 1,000 pound aluminum boat.

Although a pound of aluminum costs more than a pound of fibreglass, the much lighter nature of aluminum boats makes them significantly cheaper than fibreglass boats of the same size and strength.

Aluminum boats can also withstand much more damage than fibreglass and wooden boats. If damage does occur to your aluminum fishing boat then the solution is often as easy as hammering out dents from the other side of the hull. On the rare occasion that holes are punctured through the hull then the fix is usually inexpensive as well.

Boats made of aluminum are much lighter than their fibreglass counterparts, meaning you can tow it with a smaller vehicle and use less fuel in the process. The financial value of aluminum boats goes beyond just fuel consumption though. Just taking a look at resale values shows that aluminum boats hold their value better than boats made of other materials.

Visit us at www.cathers.ca today to view our inventory and find out which of our products best suits your unique needs.