Glass Vs. Alloy etc.

[unbusted67]

Indeed, that's the spirit mudnut. Sounds like a damn good time.

[soul searcher]

I would think that labor costs would have a major impact in a builders choice of materials. Resin may not be traded as a comodity but its price is directly linked to the cost of a barrel of oil.
Last summer while building my new boat the price of a barrel of resin over doubled as gas went to over 3.00 dollars a gallon. personaly I can carry some rein and cloth easier than a welder and some plate. From a building stand point and I have built in steel before, Its alot easier to get a fair frp hull out of a good mold than it is to keep steel or aluminum from pulling when welded. Im pretty sure that at least in my neck o the woods a welder make a good bit more money than a laminator.
wood,metal, plastic, keep it off the bottom and its all good


Matt

[unbusted67]

We'll all have to keep a very close eye on gas prices in the near future. I am predicting alot more people sailing on and off their moorings in the near future. Any thoughts on biodiesel conversions for excisting engines? Ooooo I smell a new thread!

[Celestialsailor]

I have built 2 steel boats and worked on a few others. Most steel vessels under 36 feet long are 10 guage steel. That's about .135" thick. Many US Marina's are electrically hot. In 1 years time a steel hull can have pocks 1/2 the thickness of the metal. Picture if a F/G boat had 1/2 it's hull destroyed by blisters. Then I see the owners of these steel boats epoxy fill the voids and put them on the market. You really do not know what you are buying and I doubt any Surveyor would catch that trick.
The reasoning everyone think that a steel boat is the way to go is because of it's strength. It's true, they are stronger than F/G, But how strong does a boat need to be? Most failures on any sailboat will be the rig, electronics or engine. Sometimes I think a Paper Mache could sail around the world.