Wood Hull Chris Crafts - Pros and Cons

The BEST material for boats!

IN short, there is none. Each one has its tradeoffs.
A short discourse offered here for those "debating" what kinda boat to buy:
Wood
Advantages
"Authentic" - a real boat Warm feelings abound onboard & "Soft" ride on the sea.
Disadvantages
2 hrs of work spent for one of play (Your new work motto: "Itz a circle, not a line"); Really need to keep a wooden boat undercover - otherwise, multiply the 2 hrs x 2. Harder (alot) to resell.
More on wooden hulls here:
http://www.marinesurvey.com/surveyguide/wood0.htm
Fiberglass
Advantages
Shiny, and maintenance free(er); Strong if "real" GRP (glass reinforced plastic) = rare or expensive. ('64 thru '70 Commanders, Vikings, Hatterai & Bertrams - best betz). More about that here: http://www.yachtsurvey.com/Fiberglass_Boats.htm
http://www.marinesurvey.com/surveyguide/HullFailPart1.htm
Disadvantages
Can blister http://www.marinesurvey.com/yacht/blisters.htm Good GRP = Heavy (= good ride, but more hp required) Somewhat "brittle" - monocoque hull designs
Aluminum
Advantages
10X stronger than GRP; Maintenance free(er); Lighter weight (than steel or GRP) - cheaper to run/go faster.
Disadvantages
Subject to galvanic (stray current) and dissimilar metallic corrosion; More difficult to fair & paint. A bit "tinny" at anchor.
More here:
http://www.geocities.com/alloyed2sea/TechnicalForum.html
Steel
Advantages
Strong; Easy to repair. Confidence ("Monitor class" )
Disadvantages
Heavy; Can rust; Needs careful maintenance (bilges)
More here:
http://www.geocities.com/alloyed2sea/TechnicalForum.html

IN general, before buying ANYTHING - recommend reading this article:
http://www.marinesurvey.com/yacht/usedboats.htm
Personally, my choice would be an older Hatteras MY (53 or 58) or a good aluminum Roamer (60) -- the Hatteras will resell better, but the Roamer offers alot by way of value. There are others, but you'll need to dig and make sure to get that pre-sale SURVEY.
Cheers!
Eric

More on Hull Materials

Probably more than the reader will care to know.

To wit, the major physical properties and characteristics to be considered in designing boat hulls are: Ductility, Elongation and Yielding Before Rupture.

Plastics generally have an elongation of 1.1 to 1.4; whereas aluminum marine alloys range from 10.2 to 14.0, giving them very high resilience on impact.

Dent Resistance. Aluminum is tough, resilient and has a high dent resistance; important for resistance to slam-action of waves and impact with docks or debris.
Effect of Localized Stress Concentrations. The high ductility of marine alloys enables them to adjust to stress changes without noticeable effect. This is a serious disability of polyester laminates.

Ability to Withstand Fire. Aluminum will not burn and it requires a temperature of 1200 degrees F to melt. Most plastics and wood will burn readily.

Loss of Strength Under Fatigue Loading and Vibration. Under ideal conditions, flat laminated reinforced plastics provide wet tensile strengths on the order of psi 20,000 to 40,000, with an average of 30,000 psi. This can be compared with 5086 marine aluminum (which is non-absorbent) with guaranteed ultimate tensile strength of 47,000 psi. Under fatigue loading conditions in water, this can seriously effect the laminated plastics hull strength, and more particularly, the strength of secondary bonds attaching bulkheads, stringers and other structural members. A welded integral marine aluminum structure is not so effected or changed, making it the lightest and strongest hull of all available materials, including wood or plastics, and it is totally unaffected by water absorption.

Uniformity of Product. Marine aluminum is supplied to precise specifications ready for use, with known physical properties. A GRP hull laid up on Monday can be twice as good as one on Friday - sorry.

Weight. The fact that aluminum weights half as much as steel for equal strength in most large yacht applications clearly points out the boat-builders'desire for replacement of wood and steel with aluminum. The economic advantages of high ratio of strength to weight are reduced fuel consumption, more speed (fewer pounds per horsepower), greater maneuverability, reduced draft, and longer range.

Resistance to Corrosion. Pure aluminum is highly corrosion resistant but is not strong enough for marine purposes. This corrosion difficulty was overcome in the early 1930's, when high strength aluminum alloys containing 2% to 3% magnesium were developed. These proved to be highly corrosion resistant in sea conditions and polluted waters. Today aluminum alloys in the magnesium group often are referred to as the "marine alloys", being ideally suited for marine construction and environment.

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