Small aluminium boats

In Finland it looks like aluminium boats (usually ranging from 4 meters to 7 meters) are gaining wild popularity. I would attribute this mostly to durability and easy maintenance. The two most popular boat brands are reported to be Buster (only aluminium hulls) and Silver (mostly aluminium hull boats with glassfiber deck/superstructure).

Silver just introduced a rather unusual boat, the Moreno which is a 21 feet day cruiser. (Or at least they claim so - I'm not sure if it has berths!) Looks sort of weird... http://www.silverboats.fi/index.php?lang=eng

In the US I know there are some models which have aluminium hulls and jet propulsion. It's a bit funny that such a boat type is unknown in Finland, given our notorious, shallow waters with lace-like patterns of little islands, submerged ridges, rocks and stones. Our largest lake system has an average depth of 0.5 meters (2 feet)! I suppose jet type propulsion is not just too efficient for our typical power ranges, even though it would be a safe bet for our waters. (Our aluminium boats are usually powered by outboards between 20 and 150 HP.)

Is there some good literature available on aluminium boats? I know there is the metal boat book by Bruce Roberts and some books on aluminium boatbuilding... But what is lacking could be maintenance guides for aluminium boats and literature concentrating on small aluminium boats. Perhaps they are just a local peculiarity in Finland?

Risto

Then bottom painting. Do you have to get everything out from the surface (mine seems to have a green-brownish pigment from removed algae) before bottom painting? What kind of paints are best etc...

How about repairs? Do you have ruptured welds? Sanding out deep scratches. I suppose a maintained aluminium hull could go for 40 years, or more (some fiberglass boats have already survived that long). Would major repairs on an old boat be cost-effective? Over here second hand, 20 year old aluminium boats can have surprisingly high asking prices.

> Every now and then, I tighten the screws that hold the wooden seat > tops onto the aluminum boxes.

Nitty gritty details like these. Maintaining accessories like handrails, boweyes, aux engine mounts, etc. Rubrails. Too brand specific perhaps?

Perhaps an aluminium boat wiki could do the job? :-)

Risto

I would assume you don't keep the boat in the water for long periods of time? If you keep it in the water all summer long and you don't have a major build up of algae someone must be pumping bleach or chemicals into the water. ; ) If the water is really clean and you are not getting algae build up, you are in the minority of fresh water boaters.

I keep my boat in the water, and at our lake there is major problem with blisters. I am told this has to do with the water temp. So most boats that are kept in the water have epoxy paint and bottom paint applied.

NEVERMIND.

As far as the algea or lack there of at Lake Vermillion, I wonder why the water does not grow algea? We need to find out what it is and bottle it, and make a million. ;)