Going from fiberglass to aluminum

[tspeed]

Thank you, I will look through these listed and see what information I can find on them

[tspeed]

Originally Posted by sailnautilus

Tyspeed:
We have owned a 52' Kanter for 6 years; we just finished a 2 year refit and we know more about aluminum boats than we would like!!!!

I see you are in Daytona; we are in Stuart and would be happy to show you the boat and discuss pro and cons.... I would never go back to glass.

There is an interesting Lavranos on Yacht World right now....
1991 Lavranos 43 Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

This is a bargain for an aluminum boat of this size. I am trying to convince my friends to purchase this as they are setting off on a circumnavigation, but they are afraid of aluminum.

It is very interesting to encounter all of the misconceptions surrounding aluminum boats, and to see the different fabrication techniques used by different manufacturers. Every boat requires maintenance, whether it is glass or aluminum, and all boats have pros and cons.

PM me if you are interested in seeing the boat and would be in the area.

Fair Winds,
Michele

I must agree with many of the misconceptions with the aluminum boats. I didnt come to my choice to switch easily and researched it alot. Finding info on builders has been hard for me but the pros and cons was easy to find. Thanks to the amazing ppl here I have found many more options and currently looking through them aswell. For me the pros outweighed the cons and gave me more of a sense of security I have made the right choice for material. I will continue researching the many options all you kind ppl have suggested and will post what I have decided on and why soon as I decide. All you on CF are truly amazing and helpful. Huge thanks.

[noelex 77]

Originally Posted by tspeed

For me the pros outweighed the cons and gave me more of a sense of security I have made the right choice for material. I will continue researching the many options all you kind ppl have suggested and will post what I have decided on and why soon as I decide. All you on CF are truly amazing and helpful. Huge thanks.

You have made the right choice of boat building material IMHO. People are naturaly reluctant to detail second hand boats, or even new, that interest them on an an open forum. I am very happy with my boat and am not in the market for a new one so if want to PM me with details of a boat that interests you I will give you my impressions.
All I ask is glass of nice scotch if we happen to find ourselves in the same anchorage in the future

[tspeed]

Just wanted to say thank you to all those for the great advice and suggestions made to help me with my search. After taking all the advice and references given here, I made the trip to Europe and was lucky enough to come across some very kind ppl who gladly took me of a few days sails on different brands of boats and a few sea trials from some very amazing builders, I decided to go with a Allures 45. All the boats I was able to experience that the kind ppl from here had mentioned were all amazing and any of them would of been a great choice. It all came down to which was easiest for me to singlehand. I was skeptical about a centerboard design at first but learning and experiencing how they handle in real world conditions and how the twin rudder design handles cutting through the water, i can honestly say in my opinion, my skepticism was very misguided. I am happy with my choice but I would like to make a comment about my learning experience from my lil journey. It is good to listen to the advice given but keep in mind everyone has there preference on what they think is the best ocean worthy boats, whether is a old design compared to new, the style of keels, rigging, materials used and etc etc. Just use the advice as guidance as to know what to look for and what to avoid, do your research and if possible, find the model u like and see if u can take it out and see if you like how it sails cuz when the sunsets, the only person who has to like it is you. A boat is only as good as the person at the helm so be safe and happy sails. Thank you again for the advice and help. I will post some pictures of my new home when it arrives in January.

[MichaelC]

Metal Boatbuilding Society has an informative journal. See Tom Colvin's books, also Gilbert Klingel. Michael Kasten Yacht Design. If I could afford it, the boat I am building would be aluminum instead of wood. I had a Colvin designed aluminum boat for ten years. Loved it, love the material. Fair winds and a following sea.

[noelex 77]

Congratulations.

I look forward to the photos.

[stevewrye]

Great job tspeed,

I thought you were serious and you found a great boat that sails really well and is as seaworthy as you can get. And it sounds like you did it exactly right by keeping an open mind.

Maybe we will see you at anchor somewhere and we can eat and drink and carry on great conversations on modern aluminum centerboard bluewater boats.

Best of luck with your Allures 45.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by noelex 77

Congratulations.

I look forward to the photos.

+1

[MacG]

Originally Posted by Stumble

Lol if you have the funds, I would love to work with someone interested in building a titanium boat. Think all the lightness of aluminium, all the strength of steel. I haven't run the numbers, or even close, but other than the welding costs I doubt it would be terribly more expensive than an aluminium hull.

The up side is that the hull would last forever. Corrosion would be limited to the prop, and we could likely make one up pretty easily.

In the early '90's - when titanium was available at affordable prices (it lasted a short time (about 27,00 DM per kg - TiVa - ) it could be done. The Russian alloys came from the strategic stocks and were offered in sheets. Welding is no issue. Still the best material available but presently no more commercial and/or affordable.

You could build a Ti hull and weld on top of it an aluminum superstructure.
Welding of Ti straight on AlMg4 is quite possible.

Even if the hull will be quite costly, it is inert to any corrosion (if you have the right alloy).

[Irunbird]

Hi, all- I know this is getting to be an old thread (tspeed hasn't posted since 2013), but my wife and I are in almost the same spot he was in when this got going and we're debating a trip to France or England for the same reason- to daysail (or charter) some different boats to see how they handle and if we really like them as much as we think we might. I've sent him a message through CF, but has anyone else done something similar and know how to go about it? I must admit, I have no idea where to even start looking other than to email the boatyards over there and try to navigate French with Google translator!

Any advice would be most helpful-

Ray

[Xdeth]

I would love to hear from any Allures owners, the only review of an Allures I can find is from Yachting Monthly and it's not exactly a favorable review.

In the video review it's casually mentioned that the boat rounded up once or twice surprisingly, the corresponding written review addressed a little more thoroughly. Given the general puff pieces of Yachting Monthly, sailing experience, and conditions during the review to be mentioning this fact add some weight at least in my mind there might be a problem. Hopefully someone with good experience can chime in as it's also a boat on my short list, the 39.9