hurricane aluminum hull vs GRP

[sea]

What are the pros and cons of each hull. I guess the aluminum would be better for ice or being a fast rescue craft on a large vessel. Would the aluminum hull hurricane 733 be better ride in rough?

[jyasaki]

Probably not. Aluminum hulls are lighter than glass (usually) so you tend to pound a bit more due to reduced mass. That assumes identical hull shapes, though.

jky

[RyanPratt]

I would pick glass unless i was using it as a work boat or rocky area. Aluminum are also much louder than GRP.

[jyasaki]

I don't notice my boat being much louder than my buddy's glass Zodiac. Then again, I sit further back on mine so I'm closer to the motor.

But comparing apples to apples, I think that Ryan has a lot more experience using similar boats of differing materials.

jky

[cgoing]

If you are looking at surplus boats, it is easier to find a glass hulled boat in fair shape than an aluminum one. I looked at a few aluminum hulled Hurricanes and they were all very pitted and had leaks. So for the average consumer repair and refurbing a glass hull would stand to be a bit easier and probably more cost effective.