Hi guys I'm to this site,hope you don't mind Canadian here
You southern boys seem to know alot more about drift boats than we do ,so Ithought I'd ask;I'm looking to buy a drift boat and I'm trying to figure out the big question ,what's better ,glass or aluminum?
Any input would be great
Thanks 7mag

From what I've heard most guides like glass over metal.

You might want to try a search on drift boat topics from Bob's archives as this subject has been beat-up quite a bit already. It usually ends up in a Chevy/Ford discussion. The tin boat guys think glass is not strong enough to take the beating some of the more technical rivers offer whereas the glass boat guys say their boats are quieter, warmer and glide over the shallow riffles a lot easier.

That being said, I have a Lavro, which is a glass boat and it has taken quite a beating and has held up fine. Lavro's have rounded chines, which makes the boat more maneuverable as far as getting from one side of the river to the other without losing too much ground downstream. The knock against rounded chines is that the boat doesn't track as well a square chined boat when pulling plugs.

Beezer

Metal,why?up side
highest resale,lowest maintenance,way more durable,lighter,don"t stink when left out in the sun.down side loud,cold.

IMHO

You might want to add maintenance to the down side, never seen the bottom of a fiberglass boat that needed to be recoated with Gluvit(spelling).

Also with the road de-icer they are spraying on the roads that pits aluminum you guys with the tin boats may be in for allot of work every time you put it back into the driveway.

I thought this was going to be about BEER, eh.

I love my Eastside. (FibreGlass)
I got a ride in a DiamondBack last weekend. That was pretty nice. (Aluminum)
Another pal has a Hyde. (FibreGlass)

Chevy/Ford Revisted

Centerpin:
1) Tin boats have higher resale value?? Maybe if your comparing them to some home made tupperware boat built in a garage, however if you buy a good quality boat from a reputable manufacturer of either aluminium or fiberglass material the resale does not favor tin boats. Resale value goes more towards the indiviual manufacturer's reputation then of course age/condition.
2) Tin boats are lower maintenance?? Both materials are wash and wear. BFD
3) Tin boats are more durable?? I think good quality glass boats are under-rated here. Glass boats may chip when hit hard on the chines however tin boats dent. Glass boats flex on the bottom where tin boats may over a period of time develop a tunnel bottom which raises the deck and lowers the chines aka slug.
4) Tin boats are lighter??? If true, which I don't think so, big deal, the glass boats still skip over whatever material, either dry or wet, rock or sand, that you're trying to row or launch over.
5) Tin Boats don't stink when left out in the sun?? You got me here, all that fish slime from those hatchery brats stink mine up something terrible. What's wrong with yours??

Ummm, yes. Are you going to try to claim that ANY composite is going to outlast aluminum? My Wooldridge has been sitting outside, uncovered, since 1973. Do that with a glass boat and tell me what it looks like.

Glass boats have many advantages over aluminum boats, but maintenance isn't one of them.

Go with the glass.The wife and i do overnighters in the summer for steelies and she takes everything and the sink.They are much easier to drag thru two inch deep riffles.and it doesnt have a single dent.Made by clackacraft.

Well boys given the type of rivers that I will be using the boat on(lots of shallow gravel barsand no real launching ramps) I think glass is my best choice
I like the tuffness of aluminum but I realy don't like the idea of getting out and having to drag the boat over the bars
Thanks for the great input and like I always say" the Americans have the outdoors way more figured out than we do"

7Mag,

You are too kind and way too modest.
Too kind, because you left out the "think they" between the words "American" and "have".
Too modest, because we southern boys have as much or more to learn from you northern boys.
Anyway it's great to have you aboard. I look forward to hearing and learning more from you and our other Canadian friends.

Why thank you Mooch,glad to be here
7MAG

To the guy that said that he has never saw a glass boat that needed to have gluvit added. My buddy has a Slide Rite that he has had to add Gluvit to the bottom twice, because he wore throught the finish coat, and exposed the fiber glass, which is fairly soft and needs to be protected.

fishin fool,

You got me on this one. I'm no expert but I've had a glass boat for 20 yrs and have never had to do anything to it. I may be ignorant here, but why would anybody put Gluvit on the bottom of a glass boat instead of re gel-coating it if it needed it anyway? Maybe the gel coat was inferior or insufficient to begin with. Did he check with the maker? Sounds like an unusual case. I know the glass under the gel coat may be soft but so is the Gluvit if I recall. Does the stuff even adhere to glass? Seems like the stuff is used less for protection and more to help the tin slide. But if this guys bottom was torn up that bad with glass I suspect his boat would still be sitting high and dry on a gravel bar somewhere if it was aluminum instead.

And I thought I was hard on gear.

DAN

An aluminum boat may last longer, but on that same note a yellow Eagle Claw will probably last longer then an IMX. There are some drawbacks to a higher performance machine.

Just razzing ya a little

Maybe so, lt, but if you fish a 9 foot aluminum rod you won't have to worry about being outlived by a glass or graphite stick.

LT & D,

You guys might be on to something here.
The answer to the next new bold and beautiful generation of driftboats was right there in front of us all along.
You got it............... a IMX driftboat!

And it's yours for the low, low price of $32,995. (I hear you can't beat the sensitivity, though)

I have to agee with Mooch. My Slide Rite was built in 1984(mine for the last 12 or so years). Many scratches and gouges and the so called "tines" have fiberglass showing in spots. I fish alot during the lower levels of summer and the fiberglass boat shines in those areas where you have to navigate every single exposed small boulder. The bottom of the boat has incurred many scratches and small gouges over the many years but no exposed fiberglass on the bottom. I even took it down(talked into it) a long rocky or small boulder-sized slide to the river with the paint on every boulder

Anyway Fishen Fool... your buddy needs to look into getting his DB bottom re-fiberglassed.
It ain't cheap but look into the shops around the fiberglass shops around Springfield(call Don Hill boats-I think he has the forms and knows the best fiberglassers).

Glass boats are light and tough. Just don't leave in the exposed areas of hot sun as it will oxidize the surface. Keep it waxed or polished during summer especially. My .02

One thing is for sure it's not going to be any cheaper with Gluvit all over the bottom. If you can even find anybody to touch it in the first place. But then again I suppose there is always someone that will do it for a price.

Fishen Fool, it's a lot of work but you’re buddy will probably want to get as much of that stuff off himself before he has someone work on it. Most of glass boat fabricators out there are good dudes and will steer him right. Ron at Lavro is a standup guy who is very accessible and really knows his stuff (I think he has glass in his blood). I'm sure there are others in your area. Might ask Clack? Worth a call cause right now because from the sound of it that boat probably isnt worth much the way it sits and its heading south fast. A glass boat without a good skin on the bottom is like a barn without a roof; it’s only a matter of time before it’s trash even though it could have stood for years. The good news is, if the glass integrity is not compromised, a new gel coat on the bottom could basically make that boat whole again and it can last for many more years to come. Although I have never used the stuff myself, I think there is some easy applique gel-coat on the market. Marine Supply stores (Fishermans, Boaters World, etc) might have it. They might also know of some easy way to remove Gluvit too. Maybe some other guys on this board have some experience and suggestions for you, but personally I wouldn’t do anything without talking to someone like Ron who really knows glass DBs.

Fishen, I’m sure your buddy will greatly appreciate your offer to help. Myself, you know I’d like to help too but I have a deck to replace, a house and barn to paint, a truck to overhaul, a list of honey dos that just don’t end and……………..well you understand.
Best of luck and happy drifting.