No One is Telling You The Truth About Aluminum Boats So I Have To 

I like riveted in most cases. Only reason I would ever get a welded boat is for serious stump jumping, and the only reason I would go welded is because riveted jons are usually much thinner than welded ones. Need that thicker bottom to go log sliding and jump beaver dams. Other than that, I stick with riveted boats because they are easy to fix.

Aloha. I'm 64, and raised here in Hawai'i. Back around 1982 my father ordered a 13'9" riveted aluminum hull Sears Gamefisher skiff thru a local Sears Robuck store. I used to take this boat 20 miles offshore into the deep blue Pacific in pursuit of pelagics - tuna, mahimahi, wahoo, just to name a few. Sometimes the seas would pick up, with whitecaps all around, and the hull going airborne half the time while jumping the swells. It really took a pounding way beyond what it was ever designed for, and it took this abuse all in stride. I owned that boat for 20 years after inheriting it from my dad, and the rivets never leaked, or got loose, but stayed watertight. I made sure to wash the hull down with freshwater after each use. She served me well with no complaint. 😁🤙

Let’s get someone who knows metallurgy involved, specifically the aluminum alloys. Aircraft grade aluminum is not weldable safely, that’s why it’s riveted.

I do aircraft structural repair for a living , I fix aluminum boat hulls on the side …the majority are riveted but, the welded Princecraft and Crestliners I fix are brutal for cracked ribs and low penetration on seams

Here in Australia, aluminium boats are hugely popular. Only dingys tend to be riveted, larger boats are all welded. I hear what he’s saying about cracks potentially cracking but I’ve been using Ali boats for years, mostly offshore and I’ve never seen a crack occur in a hull.

I have a 1964 Strarcraft Chieftain lapstrake riveted boat that has only needed 2 rivets replaced over the years. This boat ran in Puget Sound in big water and is now running on larger lakes so it has seen the test of time. I also have a 2006 welded boat that has had to have 2 repairs already. Your point about a riveted hull distributing the stress is spot on.

Down here in NZ there are no rivets in boats being built nowadays . All new boats are fully welded. There are still some older riveted boats around bit they are not popular due to leaks, cracks and fatigue.

Ever since the Titanic sank I have been sticking with welded boats. I would not take a riveted boat anywhere near an iceberg.

IMHO Do what LUND does. Weld where welding works best and double rivet where rivets work best. It doesn’t have to be mutually exclusive.

In the interview and following conversation presented here, I can not help but say that the elephant in the room has been ignored. I would never provide any criticism for the structural component of an aluminum boat as they are well proven. Nor would I argue against replacing a rivet or rivets in an aluminum boat. However, out here in the field as a repairer we see a very large number of leaking aluminum boats, some with loose rivets and some not. The issue absolutely is not the rivets it is the bonding agent used on the seam to increase the strength and seal the seam. It becomes delaminated, and then the boat leaks. You can tighten or replace rivets, but you can't replace the bonding agent properly without totally disassembling the seam that is leaking, which would be cost prohibition . You can seal the seam on its edge, but with the bonding agent nullified sealing that edge doesn't seem to last very long.

There are almost Zero heavy commercial boats or Coast Guard inspected passenger boats that are riveted. Riveting is great for light weight fun boats, but all the heavy aluminum work boats are welded. Each serves it's own purpose accordingly and should not be compared or confused.

Then why to they charge more for a welded John boat rather than a riveted boat

I haven't had a ton of aluminum boat experience but we rented a fishing boat on lake Mojave 30 years ago and we got caught out in the ubiquitous afternoon wind storm. The resulting waves forced us to run for the shelter of the cliffs. That run to the cliffs took us into the waves for 20 minutes and when we pulled into the cove several seat rivets had popped. I know that a welded structure in race cars and mountain bikes are very rigid but I've broken several mountain bike frames.

Boat put together with rivets that sales guy will say rivets are best. Welded boat dealer will say welded is best. Have heard of welded boats cracking but have also seen boats leaking at rivets and cracks starting under the rivet area

Jeez.. after owning many riveted boats, I can say I’m very happy to be in a welded boat…

the smaller Starcraft riveted boats held up fine for decades but would leak unless the rivets were re-bucked. the larger ones, 20 ft and over were prone to cracking along the bottom between rivets. we have a 1967 Starcraft 14 foot and it's still doing great.

Thicker welded boats are better than thinner riveted boats

Man nice I recently got a older Gregor 12ft all welded aluminum boat with a rebuilt trailer both in excellent condition, and got a new Mercury 15hp EFI motor, boat is rated for a 20hp, can't wait to hit the water !

Couldn’t agree more. I’ve owned a 20’ Lund Alaskan since 98 with high hp tillers and pounded the hull hard over the years and to this day it doesn’t leak a drop. Aluminum hulls have to flex and welded joints are too rigid and will eventually crack. Ask my different buddies over the years who’ve bought new welded hulls and they had nothing but headaches and they vowed never to own welded again. YMMV

I have a 16' Quachita purchased in about 1970. Had a Corvair airboat setup on it for several years and then switched to 40hp outboard. Most of the boat is riveted to the hull stiffeners and seats. The bow is welded as is the transom. The only crack developed in the bottom where a bottom groove was formed by pressing I think. Some of the rivets started leaking so I got my son to hold a hammer on the outside while I hammered them flatter from the inside. The only welds that broke were the gussets to the transom on the gunwales. Boat has been well used and still has a lot of life left.

In bigger water fiberglass is the way to go. You'll stay a lot warmer and the extra weight will help with ride quality. I've been on many different boats in the pnw from lakes, rivers, Puget sound and Pacific Ocean. The worst boat was the 24' Alumaweld. It beat the hell out of everyone with small wind and tidal waves and it was noticably colder outside temp was 65°. The 24' Trophy and Grady White smashed through the same amount of waves and noticeably warmer and the outside temp was 10° cooler. Ocean temperature was the same. Running rivers I'll take an aluminum all day with a pump.

Thin aluminum is very tricky to weld but can be reliably riveted. Bigger offshore workboats that have to be made of thicker aluminum sheet and plate are always welded, never riveted. Airplanes have to be made in lightest way possible. This puts the structure in a more risky cyclic fatigue regime. Also, various materials and thicknesses have to be connected together in the structure. This all favors riveting ... but demands periodic inspection at designated intervals calculated from fatigue life and corrosion rate calculations.

I had a 1980 Monark 1448, riveted hull with Welds on each side of the bow... I don't remember how many times the WELDS Failed and had to have the welds repaired. Riveted portions never failed!

I have a 20 year old Starcraft aluminum v hull that I use primarily in salt water. It doesn't leak a drop and has been perfect for me. It's just a 14'3" but takes two guys fishing in bays and in decent chop with a 25 hp motor and moves right along. I love it after scaling down in steps from longer boats. I'm old now so it's easier to handle alone. 😀

Rivets allow more flexing in the hull as well as more expansion & contraction. Welding is more rigid but the heating process can fatigue the surrounding metal, later on due to metal fatigue, imperfections in the weld/metal prep, wear & tear, a crack will form.

I bought a brand new Valco 13 Ft aluminum boat. Riveted. After about 8 months of bay and close in off shore fishing, t was leaking through a LOT of rivets. Sent it to Valco under warrantee and they WELDED ALL the RIVETS>

The stronger aluminum in aircraft are made from Non-Weldable Aluminum Aloys.

My father bought a Duracraft 1648 DD back in 1996. He put a Go Devil long tail on that boat so we always run it in shallow water. We’ve hit more stumps than I can count and that boat has held up phenomenally well. We have never had a problem with it. I definitely prefer welded aluminum boats over riveted aluminum boats. I don’t think a riveted boat could survive the abuse id put it through.

The second time I've visited this same video. The debate goes on, and probably always will. Coming from Minnesota the debate is strong there where you have Alumacraft and Lund riveted boats going up against Crestliner welded hullls all made (or were?) in that state for the same choppy waters and granite bottomed lakes. Some of the things not being mentioned, and I'm sure there are more when you bring in welded boats of the Pacific NW and southern jon & bass boats and the types of waters they run in, are the other things like improved adhesives between riveted panels and the tongue & groove extrusions some welded hulls use. Suffice to say, buying from a quality manufacturer with good dealer support and it probably boils down to personal preference.

I know absolutely nothing about welding or rivets but I had a riveted boat for decades and I never had any issues. It was an old Mirro Craft. It was great little boat and I ask it to do things I know it was never meant to do.

I bought a new Crestliner aluminum, all welded, boat in 2001. I ran it through heavy waves without having any problems. I think Alumacraft to too cheap to upgrade their manufacturing to welded boats. They are trying to convince potential customers that the obsolete riveting is superior to an all welded aluminum boat. I'm 66 years old and had many boats (aluminum and fiberglass)and the Crestliner welded aluminum boat is the best boat I ever had. ***I say BS to this video.*** Buy the way I don't work for Crestliner, I never had and I will not make any money or benefit from my comment. I giving my honest opinion.

The reason aircraft use rivets is because they have no need to be water tight and if a panel is damaged, they can remove the rivets and rivet a new panel in place much easier than welding. If you are welding, you're essentially making two pieces of aluminum into one piece. It's not as easy to repair, but it is stronger and more water tight.

Welds don’t flex and welded hulls will crack vs riveted hull will eventually leak from loose rivets but easy to fix and will flex under the stress.

The British can tell you about rivets because they stopped using them on their tanks in WW2 because after an impact they would pop and kill the crews in the tank.

I have owned 15 fishing boats. A long time ago, I.bought an aluminum boat that had been used strickly in salt water fishing the bays in Texas. Every rivet on the boat leaked. I.coated the bottom with polyester fiberglas cloth and resin. Never leaked .a drop after that. I now own a 16' 8" Tracker. I.bought it because it is light, and was inexpensive. I fish small 1000 acre lakes that rarely get any chop on them. If it is windy, I don't go. I hate fishing in the wind. I bought aluminum because they are lighter, require less maintenance, and since I usually fish alone, are much easier for me to manage. When gauging toughness, I look at what they use in Alaska. Their boats are all welded aluminum. All.of them.

Its real simple logic.....aluminum boats flex.....welds do not flex....rivets do....

It depends on size of the boat and material thickness

the U.S Navy ships are welded

That Aluma Craft looks very light weight compared to the 5mm plate alloy, full stringer sub floor frame construction and fully welded-in alloy floor on my Australian built boat. I've never seen a weld on my type of craft ever crack.

Seems to me if I have to replace a rivet, Im out a day of fishing, it's going to cost money, and cracked weld is likely to be repaired from inside not out. so not sure why the rivet has any advantage on that.

During the manufacture installing rivets requires less skill than welding. Its a cheaper boat to manufacture if its riveted.

Airplanes are Riveted because of dissimilar metals. The F14 was specially treated with 6000-grade aluminum with a titanium structure. We Rivet because you can't weld them. Some of the new stuff is heading to composite epoxy laminate.

I always worry about stresses while going down the highway with a load of gear in the boat. I don't beat on it too much fishing lakes.

Okay, both are good ways to build sheet metal boats of thin guage. However, I have experienced one thing that happened to a welded boat, which I have not seen on riveted. I will not name the brand because they are excellent boats. That said, Ihad a 16ft jon wit a very shallow V bottom. Driven by a 35 hp tiller control motor, it was fast, I can tell you. Out on Puget Sound, it can get choppy - not the best environment for a jon with 20 inches of freeboard. And, certainly not teh best environment for a flat running lake hull. As I used it over a couple of seasons, I noticed that the margins at the welds in certain spots were cracking. Not weld itself, but the sheet metal just next to the bead edge. Iassume it was material hardening when it was welded. We're talking .060" sheet - easy to get it brittle. I went on to use the boat, but cut back my bay running and took it to lakes instead. I was probably abusing it, but I'm just sayin'. Today I have a 2000 Northwood (Smokercraft Voyager), bought used, and have never had an issue in a chop except for soe pounding because it's so light. No rips or cracks at stress points. SO, I think matelfatigue or process hardening may be a thing with welding very thin aluminum.

To compare a welded aluminium boat to an aircraft’s riveted construction is an apples to oranges comparison. The alloy skin of an aircraft is thin to keep weight down and as such would be difficult to weld for starters . Rivet holes are notorious for having cracks migrate from them , but easy to repair with doublers etc . Plus easier to replace damaged parts or gain access ie to inspect inside wings etc . By comparison most welded alloy boats are 4-5 mm thick and the quality of welds today is impressive . As an example , our 7.4 m alloy boat was built (welded construction ) in 1992 . No welds have ever failed and it’s had a pretty hard life , off the West Coast of NZ . We did have some pitting in the alloy of the hull , but they just cut out that section and welded in a new section and she’s good to go again .

My polar kraft bass boat is riveted and my concern is in future having to possibly remove flooring with new carpet to replace rivets. And welded boats that are painted. Will have to be touched up.

There is absolutely no comparison to the stress loads between a fighter jet and a boat. For one, a jet has riveted panels specifically so they can be removed to access interior repairs. Jets don't bang their way through the air the way a hull bangs across rough water. Welded hulls are more rigid and therefore stronger. Riveted hulls flex. Metal that flexes succumbs to metal fatigue sooner. That said, a riveted boat is fine for small waters not subject to significant chop and waves.

Actually bolts/welds are used instead of rivets nowadays on structural steel. Steel is a different beast.

To me, the pinnacle of aluminum boats are the Coast Guard 45-foot response boat-medium. By pinnacle , I mean if I could have any aluminum boat, I desired, this is the one I would pick. Obviously I would want more luxury than the .mil version, but the self righting ability, hull design, dual 6 cylinder diesel jet pump powered drive. Joy stick controlled. It is designed to operate in 8 ft seas and survive 12 ft seas and 50 knot winds. Is it riveted or welded? AND we all know the government doesn't always pick the best of the best, but instead often pick the cheapest unless there is a reason for the more expensive option. As far as I know, the RBM45 is welded since you can find the CG requirements for repairing any welds online. I assume there is a reason for picking the more expensive option. AND this has no real context except it is a fact and it was a famous ship that sank. The Titantic was riveted. lol

Ive owned a few aluminium boats or tinnys as we call them in New Zealand. My riveted ones had to be re riveted every few years. But my last two have been welded much superior. I currently have a 4.30 side console 5mm hull 4mm sides its great. I dont go out in rough conditions

I was in navy but got out and got certified in aluminum tog and mig and D1.1 steel 1992 worked thunderjet riverboat then Renaissance boats , Duckworth , northwest and weldcraft aluminum jet boats they are all great boats but I bought a riveted boat and gave it Hell on the snake river .im in virginia with it right now.

Today both welded and riveted hulls are excellent. I own a Crestliner (welded) and a Lund (riveted) which see a lot of big water on Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. I would give the nod to the welded hulls for the following reasons. Welded hulls are more efficient than riveted do to there being no rivet heads to interrupt water flow over the hull. Also it is easier to repair a welded hull because you can identify where the leak is and repair it without the need to remove decking as you need to do with a riveted hull. Saying that, both boats l own have no leaks but both boats have had to have their transoms repaired do to the transoms wooden construction. The gentleman's information about trucks and planes being riveted is not entirely accurate. The frames of most transport trucks are held together by Huck bolts not rivets in areas that see the highest stress. Most air planes do use some rivets but in high stress areas Huck bolts are used. I make this statement from experience as an air frame mechanic assembling and repairing DC9's wings at McDonnel Douglas. Hull warranty the manufacture offers gives a good indication of how confident they are in their product. Crestliner, life time on the welded hull. Lund, life time on only the double riveted seams. Alumacraft 20 years on the riveted hull. Also both welded and riveted are subject to material and manufacturing defects.

With anything less than 3/16” i can agree I have experience in work skiffs with 3/16” sides and 1/4” bottoms And i do think there is an application for both methods Bottom bracing and framework layout is critical in both applications Weight and foam for structural integrity is also part of the equation hull materials, joinery,design, application, maintenance, hp requirements, cost is very end user specific Thanks for posting!

Welded is much less likely to crack then around a rivet. Rivet is actually cheaper to produce than welding due to the time required. But welded is stronger and more watertight. That is why welding is used where strength is required. Trucks use oversize box and riveting for cost and speed of production as they do not need to be watertight.

If riveted is stronger than welded then why are we using inferior welded submarines?

Thinner aluminum sheet is difficult to weld effectively. Manufacturers use thinner material to save money therefore really have no choice but to rivet. They don’t rivet because it is superior, just superior for the material thicknesses they use. Most river boats that are required to run over and survive rocks, sand, and logs, use thicker formed and welded aluminum sheet/plate. The thicker material allows welding without overheating and burn through like you would see on the thinner material used on riveted boats. The flatter the bottom the more it will flex too. That is why you need the thicker material as well. I’ve seen many Jon boats that are riveted start to leak because over time they start to fatigue from flexing so much. I’m talking about the thin walled RIVETED ones. This isn’t because they are riveted, it’s because cheap thin boats that don’t hold up must be riveted because welding isn’t an option on boats that thin. There’s also the fact that rivets on a boat don’t take 2 years of trade school and years of practice to master. I would say on a production line a hard working unskilled person could learn to rivet fairly quickly where as putting out a “stack of dimes” is very difficult therefore a competent welder would cost the manufacturer much more.

I am on my second riveted aluminum boat. I gave up on the first one after it leaked 2” of water into it overnight. The second has not leaked in 10 years. It is an Alumacraft.

Riveted boats leak from heavy waves over time. Welded boats don’t but are more expensive initially. Welds can crack however if they are not done properly. Not all welded hulls are equal

The first aluminum boat I owned was a leaky pos after a few years. "riveted hull". I sold the piece of junk and bought a welded hull boat. The person up front never had to "Bail Water" all day any more. If you plan on owning the boat for a long time DO NOT buy a riveted hull. You'll be sorry.

Most game wardens will tell you that all drowning victims thought they had gills like a fish, and that is why they didn’t wear life jackets.

I was teaching shop in Alaska , a guy had a welded aluminum boat . He found out the hard way aluminum welds are weaker than the parent metal. I patched it till he could get back to where he bought it .

I never weld cold Aluminium. I insist it must be pre-heated before being MIG or better still, TIG welded. Yes this takes time and costs more. That is why some do not bother pre-heating.

Thin walled aluminum like alumacraft, lund and crestliner use should be riveted. Welding distorts the shape around the bow. Welding should be reserved for 0.25” and thicker material. 8:00 8:00

I have a 1987 Alumacraft with a 60 hp hand tiller and it does not leak after being used every week.. That is 37 years of use....

Comparing the way a fighter plane is rivet constructed to the way fishing boat is rivet constructed is probably not a good comparison.

Ive got a 25 yr old riveted 14' riveted boat, always used hard and still dont leak a darn drop. Naden. Canadian made. Im the 3rd generation owner of it and will pass it down when the time comes.

Something that wasn't discussed is water tightness, Welds don't let water through, but rivetted joins do. How is the water kept out?

What’s really dumb is the fact this is still a conversation… With having the Giga Press Elon designed, these small aluminum boats should be getting stamped out. Even if it was in two halves. Big press, stamp them out, weld or rivet the one seam… done! Strength of the joint is also dependent on the placement of the joint or seam. 👍

When I asked a boat sales guy if rivets were better than welded he asked me if I have ever seen a welded airplane. I have a 2001 StarCraft superfisherman 19 ft and it’s been on the Great Lakes all of its life and it’s a tank.

I've never met anyone to take your boat in to the dealer to replace a single river. The truth is they are stronger, but they leak a lot more.

I've had two riveted boats and both started leaking on the place where the studs from the trailer had contact. It's not so much the bumping on waves but it's the transport on a trailer that causes leaks. I own now a welded made in Finland Buster boat for many years and the quality and performance is not comparable with Aluma Craft etc. I should have bought a Buster from the beginning than i saved a lot of money and trouble.

What about these new big offshore catamarans that are out there on the market? I wonder if they can take the stress of big wave over time?

Really depends on the quality of work being done to build the boat. A skilled riveter will make a better boat than a poor welder, and vise versa

Thank you. I learned alot

The only problem with aluminum boats in salt water is that you should avoid city water of any kind. Salt,aluminum, and chlorine will have a reaction where the aluminum develops pin holes that steadily get worse in time.

All the destroyer and frigate ships i worked on are welded. Lol

Rivits disperse the load across an area the diameter of the rivit at each rivit point. A weld spreads the load evenly along the length of the seam. At the point of failure a popped rivit transfers it's load to the next rivit which wasn't designed for that load. The rivits start popping like a submarine movie. This leaves holes where water jets in. We'd have to try to break our welds in shop class and the weld should be stronger than the surrounding metal. A poor weld can erode the surrounding metal and create a thin spot. Heat can harden the metal and make it brittle. Modern robotic welders sure make some pretty welds and rarely over cook it.

on my second welded boat been in rough seas many times landed hard many times no issues tired of rivet guys saying welded boats crack that's BS I think both are good and its a stupid discussion and air planes have big temp and pressure changes that's why its riveted pretty sure a boat will not see the kind of changes a plane will see.

There is nothing wrong with a well built riveted boat, or a well built welded boat. Both methods have beautiful functional examples.

They just need to use thicker metal. It needs to be at east 2 times as thick as it is. Im happy with either boat as long as its thick

I have a 1987 Starcraft with a Mercury Classic 50. Boat and engine both look new. 😃

I see a lot of welded pontoon deck mount brackets broken around the welds.

It’s all based on the thickness of the material thin aluminum needs to be riveted, but please understand that mega yachts, which are hundreds of feet long use sticker aluminum and they are welded and weld because the material is thick enough

My dad had a Quintrex welded boat and yes it developed a tiny leak at the weld

Its fine in fresh water. Wont last a month on gulf coast in the chop

I have a 2001 sprint marine ocean pro and ive beat that boat up many years still running strong welded boat on the colville river i live in Nuiqsut Alaska

Great analogy about commercial trailers on the open interstates, excellent content.

I've had rivets come loose and leak on aluminum boats.

aluminum can be heat treated and it becomes a lot stronger and tougher. when you weld it you ruin the heat treat. this is why airplanes are riveted.

HEY MINISOTA< I GOT A 1958 CRESTLINER . DONT KNOW OF ANY FIBERGLASS BOATS THAT WILL LAST THAT LONG.

Good one!

If you get a crack in a weld you will have to drill and fill "stop holes" beyond the end of the crack and hope you went far enough.

Eh, I prefer riveted. I tend to keep boats for a loooong time and while rivets will leak every now and again it is about cost free to tighten them up and not much more to replace them.

It's dependent upon the alloy and thickness of the material, all aluminum isn't the same.

Because I choose not to afford a new Lund, I fish Mille Lacs, Leech, LOTW, out of a 84 16 ft lund pike D. I've fished out of one like it since 1970. Ít floats just like the new ones and has been repowered with a new Yamaha efi 4 stroke. It isn't fancy it just works.

airplanes dont go into the water... as often.

Interesting theory… But as a kiwi aluminium boats are very very popular here, and in a country of 5 million there must be 30-40 companies making them in all shapes and sizes for Southern Ocean conditions from 3 meter “tinnies” to fish palaces with all the bells and whistles for diehard fisherman, and I’ve never heard of any mainstream manufacturers having issues with cracking welds. Makes a great sales pitch, but a well designed, well built welded hull will give you no problems in any conditions. Go to a boat show here and probably 60-70% of the boats on show, will be aluminium. They’re the fishing weapon of choice. None are riveted.

I have a 2021 Alumacraft that takes on some water. What can I do?

Marine plywood, 'glass, epoxy. Warm, quiet, durable, easy to repair. Done.

The main alloys used in aircraft construction are heat treated and usually not considered weldable. So bringing aircraft into the discussion is misleading because they have to be riveted. The only places you will normally see welded aluminum in aircraft are for items such as tanks, or non-structural fairings. Since those components are not as highly loaded, lower strength, weldable alloys can be used.