34’ Cruiser
36’ Cruiser
38’ Cruiser
42’ Cruiser
45’ Cruiser
Why
Aluminum Boats?
If you have traveled on the waters around Vancouver Island, you may have seen many aluminum vessels going about their business as water taxis, crewboats, and even as inter-island school buses.
Commercial operators have known the benefits of aluminum for a long time. Its outstanding qualities in strength, seaworthiness, durability, ease of maintenance and as a long term sound investment have made it the material of choice for those who earn their living on the water. Now many recreational boaters are also realising the benefits.
- With over 20 years experience and 800+ vessels built, EagleCraft introduces the new Aluminum Recreational Coastal Cruisers.
- Our pleasure craft meet all recreational boating needs without compromising on the integrity, durability, strength, or seaworthiness seen in our commercial vessels.
- Our rugged commercial hulls and finely finished pleasure vessels share the same construction standards.
- Designed to withstand harsh weather and emergency situations
Our
Aluminum
Boat
Our aluminum boat continued in service until the end of the season when the dent was hammered out.
Their
Fiberglass
Boat
The fibreglass boat was a write-off. Fortunately no one was hurt.
Aluminum Advantages
Aluminum Comparisons
| Fiberglass | Steel | Aluminum | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength |
|
|
|
| Weight |
|
|
|
| Durability |
|
|
|
| Maintenance |
|
|
|
| Depreciation |
|
|
|
| Design Flexibility |
|
|
|
| Total Points |
18 |
17 |
30 |
Indepth Articles About Aluminum
A Profile on EagleCraft
by Dieter Loibner
Pondering the looks of the EagleCraft 31, Polaris, brings to mind the legendary series of German racecars called Mercedes Silberpfeil. The boat’s unpainted aluminum hull sports exactly the color of these rockets on wheels, which set new standards for performance and endurance more than 70 years ago
Like other nicknames, the Silberpfeil — or silver arrow — has a quirky origin. The first such car, introduced in 1934 and painted white, was 2 pounds over the limit at the weigh-in for its first race, so the crew simply sanded off all the paint, thus fixing the weight problem by exposing the shiny aluminum body. Because the car won, a legend was born.
Material Difference
by Tom Neale
Aluminum and steel are tougher and more durable than fiberglass. You might also be surprised at how they compare in terms of price.
As I write this, I’m sitting aboard my 53-foot 1974 fiberglass motorsailer. She’s a very tough, very good boat, and I love her. But I’ve seen fiberglass boats on the reef. I’ve been under water with them and seen their guts strewn about the sand and coral: clothing, bedding, plumbing, computers, pots and pans, tools. It’s a sight you don’t forget. Read the other story in this package: I once saw a steel boat sail onto a rocky ocean reef in a 40-knot nor’easter. After four days of pounding and grinding by huge ocean seas, the storm abated and she was floated off with very little damage.
EagleCraft Boats Show Their Mettle
by Eric Sorensen
There are many reasons to consider a plate aluminum vessel.
In the fiberglass-centric world of recreational boating, it’s easy to forget that some of the finest yachts are built of welded aluminum. So are many commercial small craft — below 100 feet — in operation today, as well as ships to more than 300 feet, where reducing weight to achieve high speeds is very important.
First, a science lesson. Manufactured from the ore bauxite, aluminum is a silvery-white, ductile metal with excellent corrosion resistance, strength and toughness. It can be easily cast and welded, melts at 1,220 F (as opposed to 500 F for fiberglass), and weighs 170 pounds per cubic foot — a little more than a third as much as steel. Aluminum’s strength varies depending on the alloy, but marine-grade 5083 H-32 aluminum plate starts to deform at 34,000 psi and fails at 45,000 psi.
Sound Proofing And Insulation
A common misconception about aluminum boats is that they are noisy, cold and damp with condensation. This may be true of some aluminum boats and equally true of many boats built of other materials. But come aboard an EagleCraft boat and you will experience a totally new experience. Our boats are warm, quiet and drier than most other boats built today regardless of the construction material. The reason is that we have developed some of the most advanced technology in the industry to overcome these common misconceptions.
Soundproofing
Soundproofing was our first challenge. Noise from the engine and from the hull hitting waves can reverberate sound through an aluminum boat like an empty drum. Without soundproofing, noise levels reach 90 dB in the cabin. We researched many ways to overcome this problem and developed our own unique answers. Adhesive acoustic tiles are installed in the forward sections of the hull and high density closed cell foam is sprayed throughout all void spaces. Engines are equipped with isolation mounts and installed on hardwood and neoprene rubber bases, the engine mounting bolts are isolated with plastic bushings. Engine compartment lids and bulkheads have a mineral wool soundproofing system protected with a perforated aluminum shield. These techniques have reduced the sound levels in our boats to about 70 dB, less than that in many comparable boats of any other material. Normal conversation, radio communication, even listening to the stereo, is possible at cruising speed.
Insulation
Keeping our boats warm is no problem. Our hulls and cabins are fully insulated with a minimum of 1″ and in many cases 1 1/2″ of high-density foam. Humidity and condensation is always a problem with almost any boat. Imagine twelve large sweaty men in wet clothes plus an operator being transported for several hours in pouring rain on a Crew boat. Condensation becomes a big problem. These are the conditions under which we had to find satisfactory answers. We have developed combinations of insulation, heaters, defrosters, fans and ventilation systems to meet the most challenging conditions. Travel any distance in any weather on one of our crew boats and you will always find them to be warm and dry. The same technology is applied to our recreational boats.
There are very few boats built in any material that have as much applied research into the problems of noise, heat and humidity as our aluminum boats. Put our boats to the test and your ideas about aluminum being noisy, cold or damp will change completely.
Aluminum Myths
Aluminum vessels are Noisy!
Not True
In fact a well built aluminum vessel with proper soundproofing is often quieter than an equivalent fiberglass boat. Our average decibel reading in the main cabin at cruising speed is about 75db. Additional soundproofing can bring the level down to as low as 70db.
Aluminum vessels are cold and damp!
Not True
Our hulls and decks are fully insulated and our cabins are as dry and cozy as any boat built of wood or fibreglass. Take a look at some of the interior shots on the next pages and you will see the quality and comfort of our interior finishing.
Difficult to install hull fittings!
Not True
To install depth finders or bait tank pumps, simply drill and tap into the hull and use a stainless steel fastener.
It’s affected by corrosion and electrolysis!
Not True
Today’s Marine Grade Aluminum is virtually corrosion free. Some surface oxidization may occur, but this in no way affects the strength or integrity of the aluminum. Electrolysis can be a problem, but is easily prevented by the installation and maintenance of zinc sacrificial anodes.
You cannot paint aluminum
Not True
With careful preparation and the application of the proper primers and undercoats, aluminum holds paint very well. We have several boats almost ten years old still looking like new. Our boats are also available with a standard Clearcoat Polished Finish and many of our customers prefer the appearance of unpainted aluminum.
