I have talked with several folks in the last month about the best material for yacht building. The truth? You can build quality boats out of any of the popular materials: fiberglass, aluminum or steel. With maintenance providing some distinction, each can be suitable / durable for whatever kind of cruising you plan to enjoy.

This is what I tell my clients. Most boats are designed to an acceptable standard. In our office we typically use one of the standards published by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS. When you design using these or similar guidelines the boats: steel, aluminum, or fiberglass are all considered comparable by the guidelines. The differences in strength, flexibility and durability are accounted for within the guidelines.

Running the numbers for fiberglass, steel, and aluminum would produce three yachts that are theoretically equivalent, but differences do creep in. Steel boats sometimes tend toward thicker plating. It makes it easier to weld a fair shape. Unless there was a conscious attempt made to exceed the standard guidelines, however, the strength of the total structure is the same as its non-metal counterparts.

Unfortunately no rule can account for the unexpected. Under normal conditions all vessels will serve well, gray areas occur when the unexpected happens. Example: some materials handle blunt impact better than sharp impact. We have designed fiberglass boats that, after hurricanes, sustained days straddling seawalls, only to be dragged off their perch with minor "cosmetic damage". This may not always be the case. As I said: "It depends upon what you Hit."