Question:
What is the best aluminum boat on
the market? Which is better welded
or rivet boat?
Answer:
That's a tough question to answer.
You really didn't give us much info
to go on based upon what your looking
for (size, intended use, etc.).
If your looking at fishing boats
say in the 16 to 20 foot range,
I really don't think there's any
clear best boats.
Many of the
aluminum boats out there in this
size are very similar in terms of
quality. Other than the boat hull
and stringers, livewells and decking,
you'll find that most of these boats
are equipped with the same third
party hardware. The best hang you
can do is look at lots of different
boats and find a few with layouts
that appeal to you. Look at storage
space, mounting surfaces, console
space, casting platforms, live well
size etc.
These are
the kinds of hinges that differ
many of these boats. Brands to look
at are Lund, AlumnaCraft, Smoker
Craft, Sylvan, Roughneck, Crestliner,
Starcraft, PrinceCraft, Fisher,
Ranger, Grumman. As for your question
of what’s better, welded or riveted
construction: Let me first say,
don't let anyone tell you that riveted
boats leak. Yes, there are some
out there that have developed leaks
in them. However, if you look at
the riveted boats made by the manufactures
listed above, you should not have
leak problems.
Yes, you will
probably hear from a couple of people
that have had problems. However,
it's few. I guess I'm saying not
to get scared away from riveted
construction if you buy a decent
brand. In general though, a welded
hull would be better because the
bottom is smooth (no rivets). You
should get a little better speed
out of the hull. However, this assumes
that you would be comparing two
identical hulls. One being welded
and the other riveted. When I looked
at boats in the 17 to 19 foot class
in 96, I would up buying a SmokerCraft
175 Ultima. The welded hulls were
appealing to me; however, I couldn't
find a welded hull offering a similar
enough layout to what I was looking
for.
There are
relatively few welded boats out
there compared to the large number
of riveted boats. I've been told
that Crestliner makes the aluminum
welded boats for Ranger. Crestliner
has had a good reputation in welded
construction. Their boats have the
smooth cosmetic lines that attracts
many people to fiberglass boats.
I found them to be well constructed
(especially with the SST transom).
The layouts of their boats didn’t
have enough onboard storage for
my needs though. The only negative
I've heard about welded construction
is that they can crack along the
welds if you operate them on ruff
water often.
However, I've
viewed this more as one or two cases
rather than the norm. Sort of like
the old "riveted boats leak" myth.
The couple of people I know that
have welded aluminum have not had
any problems. One of these boats
sees rough conditions fairly often
on Lake Winnebago in Wisconsin.
As far as prices, I found that the
same boat can vary as much as $3000
between dealerships so shop prices
once you find something you like.
You'll find that the Lunds, Rangers,
and Crestliners will carry the biggest
price tags in these boats.
