Growing up with Aluminium Boats

Most New Zealanders will have fond memories of growing up an aluminium boat. Most will recall summers where the humble 12ft dinghy was pulled along the shore and rowed with a pair of oars, or if you are lucky an old seagull outboard engine. Or the best yet the 12ft Dinghy was powered by a 15hp outboard.

They were riveted together and tended to leak like a sieve after a few years and the thin alloy would wear through from all the abuse it recieved on the beach. These little boats were able to be patched up and would be around for decades. They stored well upside down and a lot of back yards had one laying around waiting for the family holiday. Floundering, and fishing in estuaries remain great memories from my child hood.

Aluminium boat building has come along way, and the options available are endless. From cheap boats to super-yachts aluminium can provide the building basis for fantastic boats that will provide great memories.

If an aluminium boat is built correctly and cared for well it will last for many decades and out live many other boat building materials, it seems that aluminium boats in New Zealand are as popular as ever and New Zealanders see past any negative experience they may have had with an old leaky tiny and love the virtues of an alloy boat. So the barriers are constantly being pushed and quality aluminium boats have evolved into a product with very few draw backs for their proud owners.