Fiberglass boats

Shockwave

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I am fairly new to the boating world and I am looking at buying a boat. How easy is it to crack a fiberglass boat? I want to buy one but I am in fear I will hit one of the many sunken trees where we are and poke a hole in the boat. I hit one last year with my aluminum boat and no damage was done.
 


Sluggo

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When I first started boat shopping 30 years ago, I was looking for an aluminum boat. Stumbled into a yarcraft which I bought. 5 years ago I replaced the Yar with a Ranger. I live where you do, fish the river and have slid over a few stumps although I try to go around most of them. Never cracked the boat.
 

Shockwave

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What kind maintenance does a guy need to do to one. Do you need to wax it every year because of the gel coating?
 

Captain Ahab

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What kind maintenance does a guy need to do to one. Do you need to wax it every year because of the gel coating?

They're a lot stronger than you think. It's best to clean and wax any boat to make it look nice. There are a TON of old fiberglass boats that haven't seen wax in decades. They look shitty, but they still float.
 


Sluggo

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What kind maintenance does a guy need to do to one. Do you need to wax it every year because of the gel coating?

Mine isn’t a garage queen, she gets used. I chamois the water off the sides after loading which keeps it pretty clean. A couple times a year I clean it more thoroughly with vinegar water or some spray that removes water spots and then go back over it with a wax spray. I think it still looks as good as the day I got it minus a little scratch or rock chip or 2.
 

johnr

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When my time comes, I will be in the fiber glass market.

I really enjoy the current boat, and making payments sucks. It might never happen as fishing has become a minimal part of my summer experience.
 

zoops

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Unless you fish small lakes with poor/no boat ramps, I can't really think of any reason to choose aluminum over fiberglass. Maybe a tad less expensive?
 

Allen

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Unless you fish small lakes with poor/no boat ramps, I can't really think of any reason to choose aluminum over fiberglass. Maybe a tad less expensive?

Beaching on gravel/rocky shorelines. It's why I bought aluminum, and then the Corps stopped allowing people to camp on the shores of Sak. If/when I buy another, it will likely be glass.
 


ndfinfan

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Beaching on gravel/rocky shorelines. It's why I bought aluminum, and then the Corps stopped allowing people to camp on the shores of Sak. If/when I buy another, it will likely be glass.

Funny you mention that Allen...2 weeks ago I was on Sak...storm came up pretty quickly...I was in the Douglas Bay area. First crack of lightening over my head inspired me to find a place to beach the boat. Found a mostly sandy beach where the winds were blocked...beached the boat...didn't even think twice about it or worry about the hull. So are you saying if I owned a glass boat my only options would have been to run back to the dock and hope I beat the storm or beach the boat and possibly damage/scratch the hull? Are glass boat hulls really that susceptible to scratches or damage just by beaching it on sand?
 

Captain Ahab

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I beach my sparkly boat occasionally, haven't had any issues :;:huh

With a good keel guard you can do it carefully with a sandy/smaller gravel bottom without issues. Without a keel guard you can grind the gel coat off pretty quick.
 

shorthairsrus

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We always had some type of fiberglass boat growing up beached them all the time. Never did anything to the hull other than dull it a little. Let's face it no matter what type of boat they are so overpriced compared to a vehicle its nuts. Hence the concern about a hull. Idk about lands but my al boat has as much or more clear coat as my pu. Clear coat doesn't like a beach either

- - - Updated - - -

351134821_1373371650110653_8145222057679710948_n.jpg

Hulls overrated. Have fun
 
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SDMF

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With a good keel guard you can do it carefully with a sandy/smaller gravel bottom without issues.

This.

I'm on my 2nd 'glass boat I haven't beached either of them often, but I sure didn't worry about it when I wanted/needed to. Good keel-guard and ease in to sand/small gravel. Shore lunch and/or the occasional emergency impromptu restroom are a non-issue IMO.
 


Allen

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To each their own, but having grown up camping on the shores of Sak in the New Town area where we would leave the boats beached overnight, through storms, etc for weekend's at a time, there is a real difference in wear on a glass hull when compared to the aluminum hulls.

If you are able to cherry pick your beaching spot for a shore visit, I have no issue with glass hulls on the shore. It's a Devil's in the Details kind of thing for me. And like I said, at this point the Corps has really taken that away from most boaters in ND nowadays, so even I would probably lean towards glass on my next purchase.
 

1lessdog

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Beaching on gravel/rocky shorelines. It's why I bought aluminum, and then the Corps stopped allowing people to camp on the shores of Sak. If/when I buy another, it will likely be glass.



Is this true, you can't beach your boat and set up camp?
 

Rowdie

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People canoe and kyak the length of the whole Missouri River. Where are they supposed to stay? People camp on the shores of Oahe, just look at those protesters. Hang up a Nodapl sign n you're good to go.
 

Allen

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Is this true, you can't beach your boat and set up camp?

You can't drive down to most of the shoreline in a vehicle and park a camper, or set up a tent. You can do it if you choose to boat to an area and tent it (I think), but that's a lot less appealing to most. Including me.

Back in the 70s and 80s, Little Knife Bay area all the way over to the cabin site north of New Town would be dotted with campers and beached boats in every little nook and cranny. Not allowed nowadays as it's all fenced off, the tribes in particular were concerned about historical site preservation. Which obviously doesn't apply to 4 Bears casino area.

A few a-hole graverobbers ruined it for all of us.
 
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