What makes the best houseboat, wood, fibreglass, metal or concrete hull?

Question

and why? what are the benefits and disadvantages of each please?

Answer 1

Fibreglass, wood can splinter, metal rusts away and concrete ha ha.Fibreglass is very strong and not as brittle as wood or steel.

Answer 2

Aluminum is the most popular construction material today.

It is lightweight, strong, and fairly easily repaired.  It has very little problem in regards to corrosion, or rusting, and has excellent longevity.It requires very little maintenance, other than yearly checkups of the anode system.  One of the drawbacks to aluminum, is that a eye has to be kept on electrolytic corrosion (galvanic corrosion).

Fiberglass Construction is very common, and a popular choice for construction material.  It is lightweight (heavier than aluminum), strong, and also easily repaired.  It has very little problems in regards to maintenance, it requires simple waxing, cleaning, compounds of it's gel coat to keep it's LIKE NEW luster.  Age, water, and storage conditions can affect the longevity of fiberglass, therefore proper care and maintenance are neccesary.

Steel is a less common material found in newer houseboats, however still popular amongst older boats.  Advantages are that it is strong, difficult to damage, easily repaired, and houseboats with steel construction can be quite inexpensive.  

Disadvantages are that it is an era that is coming to an end. The purchase of a steel houseboat is definitely not a decision to be taken lightly.

From the beginning of time, boats were constructed mostly of wood. I'm a firm believer that wood is still one of the most beautiful types of material available.  However in all fairness, the time and money involved is not for the faint at heart. Wood has excellent qualities, however for the "average" Houseboater, it is not the material of choice.  The yearly maintenance involved would definitely require some major experience, and a substantial amount of tools for the upkeep.

Concrete is not common in houseboat construction.

My choice would be fibreglass.  It is relatively easy to care for and very forgiving, while also being very strong.

Answer 3

17111

Answer 4

wood is too expensive now, requires constant maintenance

fiberglass is the cheapest, easiest

metal is heavy and rusts

concrete is unsuitable

http://z.about.com/d/cats/1/0/I/r/2/shou...

Answer 5

fiber glass would be the best its expensive but not as much as aluminium ,, but dont run up on the sand youll scratch the gelcoat and let water in,, this is the only thing with fiberglass if you look after it ,,it is the best,,, and insulated  aluminium paneling for the super structure<<<<

  

   aluminium hulls are light and,strong but are expensive, noisy and prone to very rapid corossion due to electrolisis.

steel  can be an exelent material if looked after and built properly !!!! its strong and cheeper and can be easily altered  by cutting and welding bits were ever you want,, the only problem is oxidisation and condensation so must be treated right ,,,from the start, can be a little noisy too

  ferro is the cheapest, it is quiet ,doesnt need such care when painting , can run up on the sand ,no worries about scratching  but the reinforsing steel bars can oxidise if its not built properly,,and not very appealing ie people dont like it and youll never get much if you sell it..

  

  wood is good if its fiberglassed over other wise is prone to rot <><>> this is a whole different world and a lot of knowlage is needed of all the different methods of construction and types of wood,,, can be fun to build not as dirty and difficult as the other materials, but wont last long in comparison

Answer 6

Fiberglass is the best choice. It is relatively easy to manufacture and repair, it is basically forever! metal is good if you are able to weld, don't mind the increased noise of the hull and the constant battle against corrosion. There are plenty of ferro cement boats around, but it has not gone really mainstream. Very heavy. Wood can also be beautiful and has many desireable characteristics but is high maintenance.

Answer 7

wood is a constant headache, fibreglass is good so is steel and aluminum. I would go with steel its cheap and almost maintenance free./

Answer 8

They use concrete to make boat hulls?

Edit: Well, you live and learn! Cheers :-)

Answer 9

Look at the web site for Sea Otter Boats.

They have made some houseboats but not sure what they are doing these days.

Largest aluminium boat builder, probably, in Europe.

They build in marine-grade aluminium alloy (the same stuff used by the RNLI lifeboats, Swedish Navy, Thames Police launches).

Big advantage is that it doesn't rust so although it is a more expensive metal than steel, you don't have the maintenance costs.  They do not use anodes.

I've just been told (by Metallurgist/retired Technical Director of a Company which made Materials Testing Machines) that the alloy used by Sea Otters is not prone to rapid deterioration problems caused by electrolysis and that Sheffield University's Metallurgical Department gave this particular metal "a life expectancy in excess of 100 years"