Aluminium Hulls

[petes]

Hi all, does anyone here have any information on manufacturing of aluminium hulled RIBs? Useful contacts etc?
I'm pretty clued up on aluminium grades and specifications welding and shaping techniques I run a small business manufacturing mainly bespoke vehicle body's and panels. (www.metalcraftltd.com) Obviously I will need to work much thicker material than we normally use for car body's!
I have been rather tempted to build an aluminium boat for a while but as yet haven't been able to get much technical info, like plans etc, would be a great help!! If I am going to do this I want to use a tried and tested hull shape and design.
I have the equipment and the experience here to do it, but would love a bit of guidance from someone who has done it successfully already.
I am not looking for this to be a commercial venture at this stage.. more of a personal project, with a possibility of maybe taking it further.
I have in mind an offshore suitable deep vee design around 6m and want to make all the internal elements in aluminium, deck, console, seating. And ideally twin engined set up.
I think this would make for an interesting project...
Any info you have to offer would be brilliant..
Pete

[kubcat]

Originally Posted by petes

Hi all, does anyone here have any information on manufacturing of aluminium hulled RIBs? Useful contacts etc? I'm pretty clued up on aluminium grades and specifications welding and shaping techniques I run a small business manufacturing mainly bespoke vehicle body's and panels. (www.metalcraftltd.com) Obviously I will need to work much thicker material than we normally use for car body's! I have been rather tempted to build an aluminium boat for a while but as yet haven't been able to get much technical info, like plans etc, would be a great help!! If I am going to do this I want to use a tried and tested hull shape and design. I have the equipment and the experience here to do it, but would love a bit of guidance from someone who has done it successfully already. I am not looking for this to be a commercial venture at this stage.. more of a personal project, with a possibility of maybe taking it further. I have in mind an offshore suitable deep vee design around 6m and want to make all the internal elements in aluminium, deck, console, seating. And ideally twin engined set up. I think this would make for an interesting project... Any info you have to offer would be brilliant.. Pete

I have a 5.6m aluminium RIB. It is a one off that was sold to me with tubes attached but not much else. I was also given the drawings with it. Apparently it was designed to also be built at 6.6metres. It is not what I would call a deep V, but it may give you a starting point.

Now I just have to find them as I have since computer since.

[Barrowboy]

Originally Posted by petes

Hi all, does anyone here have any information on manufacturing of aluminium hulled RIBs? Useful contacts etc?
I'm pretty clued up on aluminium grades and specifications welding and shaping techniques I run a small business manufacturing mainly bespoke vehicle body's and panels. (www.metalcraftltd.com) Obviously I will need to work much thicker material than we normally use for car body's!
I have been rather tempted to build an aluminium boat for a while but as yet haven't been able to get much technical info, like plans etc, would be a great help!! If I am going to do this I want to use a tried and tested hull shape and design.
I have the equipment and the experience here to do it, but would love a bit of guidance from someone who has done it successfully already.
I am not looking for this to be a commercial venture at this stage.. more of a personal project, with a possibility of maybe taking it further.
I have in mind an offshore suitable deep vee design around 6m and want to make all the internal elements in aluminium, deck, console, seating. And ideally twin engined set up.
I think this would make for an interesting project...
Any info you have to offer would be brilliant..
Pete

An interesting project indeed...

Not sure whether you've seen the aluminium ribs built by Robust Boats but if not, have a peek here Robust Boats

Another seasoned builder in aluminium (albeit not ribs) is the good ol' water witch company in Liverpool and you might glean some useful general info here Aluminium Utility Boat (AUB) - Leisure / Workboat : Liverpool Water Witch

Best of luck and keep us all posted on the project development.

We all LOVE a good project thread (with pics, of course)

[Will75]

Hi

I built a 7m diesel jet rib from scratch about fifteen years ago in my mum's garage. I built everything apart from the tubes which were made by euro craft.

The hull plating was 5083-0 4mm and it had a massive egg box frame structure which was all 5083-0 5mm

All flat bars etc were 6082-t6 6mm

Have hundreds of photos!

Cheers

Will

[petes]

Great thanks for your response and yes I'd love to see some drawings. Obviously wouldn't want to infringe anybody's copyright etc.
I am still in the very early stages of the project, but I would be certainly posting pics of progress as the build starts.
Thanks again for your help and interest.

[petes]

I would love to see some photos! I would use that grade also (marine grade 5083) tough as old boots and welds nicely. I keep seeing references to 6mm thick for hull, but like you I feel that 4mm more than adequate.

[pow2gran]

These chaps appear to be offering a design that you can build in ali. If you manage to get something going I would be interested to see your build. I swapped a fletcher for a rib!

Specialty Marine Contractors - RIBs

Has anyone used their design?

[paul tilley]

try Adam Younger "K4 Design " I am sure he has designed some aluminium ribs

[treerat]

I think XPRo make a rib with an Ali hull. I did looka few years ago at buying an ali rib that also had a ali tube.

Decided not to but it was made in Gloucester I think. I like the idea and would happily run one for the uses that I have for a rib.

[AMac]

Hi
Alloy hulled ribs are very rare I looked for a while but could not find what I was looking for
A lot of people say it is due to the welds suffering from stress cracks
Don't know if this is true but I do know the super fast ferries made from alloy have welders
working 24/7 on them only to weld stress cracks!!

[Barrowboy]

Originally Posted by AMac

Hi
Alloy hulled ribs are very rare I looked for a while but could not find what I was looking for
A lot of people say it is due to the welds suffering from stress cracks
Don't know if this is true but I do know the super fast ferries made from alloy have welders
working 24/7 on them only to weld stress cracks!!

Hmmmmm, you'd have to question the quality of the original workmanship then...

Amongst the vessels I operate on our current project are 3 x aluminium hulled, 100 ton, 26m aluminium-hulled catamarans working 24/7 (weather permitting) 90km out in the North Sea in seas up to 3.5 metres. The boats cruise at 20knts when the seas allow and frequently battle through 3.5 metre seas at 10 knts. In the past 12 months none of the vessels has required any welding of their hulls.

Plenty of other issues, but no problems with their hulls whatsoever.

[Ribandmotorhome]

Allena has a ribeye with an Ali hull.
I saw it for the first time couple of weeks ago on the nacho run.
Seemed all ok. Don't know how old it is though.
Allen are you gonna chip in??? :-)

[Maximus]

I know Ribcraft offer Alloy Hulls as an option....although as you'd imagine they do cost more.
I heard about some they did for 'BAE' for a certain foreign 'Defence force' ..they were designed to be unmanned,completely remote control!...and carried a Chain Gun!
Lighter and FASTER than the Fibre Glass equivalent,but quite a bit noisier underway.
There is someone on the Forum who has fabricated,by all accounts some outstanding Alloy Hulls too!not sure if he does them commercially, but if you pm me I'll put you in touch.

[jyasaki]

I have an aluminum hulled RIB from Polaris Inflatables in Canada, but I have no info on the build (apart from a couple of fairly poor quality pics.) All 1/4" 5052 plate.

Not a RIB, but a guy I have seen built a large (26 or 28 foot) aluminum cat in his garage; Don't know full details (the guy wasn't real pleasant to talk to), but he used primarily 1/8" plate. Apparently, the guy got his welding skills down by building the trailer first (and the welds supported this), then the boat to fit the trailer. Had a couple of 150 4-strokes for power, of which one was usually broken.

jky

[pow2gran]

The Highfield rib that went round Ireland was ali and on show a the Southampton boat show. They had a good write up and they apparently performed well. My impression was that the welds were a bit rough and I was told they were built in China. I would rather have one built in Coalport!

Highfield Ocean Master Aluminium 500 package 50hp Honda…£16,598 » Seaswift Boats

[Will75]

Originally Posted by petes

I would love to see some photos! I would use that grade also (marine grade 5083) tough as old boots and welds nicely. I keep seeing references to 6mm thick for hull, but like you I feel that 4mm more than adequate.

Hi Pete, I have hundreds but have scanned a few for now.

Cheers

Will

[petes]

Originally Posted by Will75

Hi Pete, I have hundreds but have scanned a few for now.

Cheers

Will

Many thanks Will, thanks for your trouble, would love to see more!
Looks very interesting. I like the hull shape. How did it perform? Do you still have it?
Cheers
Pete

[Rokraider]

Hayling Rescues 8 metre RIB is around 10 years old and is made from Aluminium. It is on the water 24/7/365 days a year. It is just about to have its first structual repair, which is some corrosion under the engine mounts. Other than that is has been pretty well faultless over its life. It was built by Pepe's Boatyard at Hayling Island.
Aluminium is fine, providing it is done properly.

[Deekus]

I was an approved Aluminium welder in my previous life, in the power construction industry for a global infrastructure group which included many MOD projects.
Aluminium is a fine material to work with providing it is handled by a skilled tradesman. It offers many advantages in the power, aviation, and nautical fields.
I became an accomplished triathlete where choice of race bike material became a serious issue. Steel, Carbon fibre, Aluminium, Titanium were all tried and tested. I finally settled on Aluminium as my choice of weapon due to its lightweight, stiff, responsive bombproof properties and never looked back.

I now own an XPRO Rib with Aluminium hull and am more than happy with its performance and ride qualities.

[neil.mccrirrick]

+1 ally hull. I'm happy with mine, in fact more than happy. Robust not worried about gel coat chips. Can beach and not worry

No real downside for me

They are not as pretty I guess but then again with a decent paint job