Why no aluminum boats?

**madmatic** · 07-18-2018, 01:17 PM

I was talking with my friend who is an amazing welder/metal fabricator and while talking about boats he asked why there are no light weight aluminum cats or tunnel boats.. this sparked both of our interest and does make me wonder why no one is making them like skaters, liberators, ect. The only ones you see are jet boats running up rocky rivers, hunting/ bass and patrol boats. what do you guys think?

**tom kennedy** · 07-18-2018, 01:49 PM

l believe there were a Handfull of larger offshore
cats an v bottoms back in the day racing!

**Capt.Insane-o** · 07-18-2018, 02:09 PM

Aluminum fatigues and cracks. An older gentleman around here who was a hell of welder made him self a few aluminum kneel downs. He was forever chasing fatigue and by the time the needed bracing was added the hulls were beyond the weight of wood/composite boats.

**Chaz** · 07-18-2018, 02:39 PM

Tommy Allen who owns Champion Racing Heads in Palm Coast Florida rented half his building out to the LaBatt's Beer racing team back in the 90's . They raced an aluminum 50' Cougar cat . There were always a pair of motors in the boat , a pair in the hauler and another pair at Keith Eickert's. I was kind of half kidding around with Tommy one day and said , when they cycle some of these motors out . I might be interested in some parts .

I got some guys together , and we bought six sets of Big Chief heads when they switched over to the V-16 stuff .. I still have a set ..

**madmatic** · 07-18-2018, 03:54 PM

I would have never thought that aluminum would be more susceptible to stress failure than fiberglass, perhaps it was the type of aluminum he used? @Chaz that boat is amazing, did they also have structural issues? And please tell me you put those big Chief heads to good use

**LakeFever** · 07-18-2018, 05:47 PM

It would be a chore to get the aluminum hull as smooth as fiberglass is and I cant see it being lighter either. Doable but whyable?

**madmatic** · 07-18-2018, 06:39 PM

I would think the opposite as far as forming and getting it smooth. We are thinking of building one next year, he just built an aluminum airplane which I still refuse to get in.

**LakeFever** · 07-18-2018, 06:57 PM

Look forward to seeing it. Best of luck with your project

**Chaz** · 07-18-2018, 07:05 PM

Originally Posted by madmatic

I would have never thought that aluminum would be more susceptible to stress failure than fiberglass, perhaps it was the type of aluminum he used? @Chaz that boat is amazing, did they also have structural issues? And please tell me you put those big Chief heads to good use

There was a lot of money in the sport back in the 80's . They could spend what seemed like unlimited funds on fresh idea's and new equipment . All those guys seemed like they could afford to park a boat in the weeds with two races on it for a different one that someone clamed was 1 mph faster .. crazy times .

Yes , I used the heads I bought to build a 706 and put it in a 250 inch wheelbase Top Dragster …

I think one of the Gentry Eagle's was aluminum . Copelands , Pop Eyes Chicken / Diet Coke . They all had that big square back .

**TooStroked** · 07-18-2018, 07:36 PM

The aluminum Cougar cats were also famous for developing what was called a "Cougar smile" back in the day. The smile was actually a wrinkle in the sides of the sponsons just aft of the bows. The wrinkle developed after repeated flexing of that portion of the boat from hitting swells. We had a local racer run a Cougar on the national circuit back in the late 80's called Chairman of the Board. (It was also called Turkish Express in several races.) It ran Lamborghini V-12's and sounded rat nasty. Here's a clip of it running in Key West:

**madmatic** · 07-18-2018, 08:11 PM

Man those boats are so far out my league!! But seriously awesome. I was planning on using an outer limits bottom and my Sanger alleycat top, obviously not a splash but pulling the dimensions and drawing it up in solid works/cadd then I can strip the panel dimensions out of the drawing and have the local shop make all the large cuts the would be a nightmare for me. Then it would just be welding, grinding and beating a few of the edges into submission.

**Capt.Insane-o** · 07-18-2018, 11:45 PM

There was something about ping pong balls too....

**madmatic** · 07-19-2018, 12:37 AM

Ping pong balls??? There are only a few things that come to mind but non of them involve a boat.

**Chaz** · 07-19-2018, 08:07 AM

Lots of guys out there that can break an anvel with a rubber mallet . Some make it look easier than others . But eventually , racing will break everything that anybody brings and makes an effort to go to the front .
How many WW2 era planes are there tucked away in hangers that will still fly today . 1960's Jon boats that might leak around a few rivets , but still have kids flogging them every summer . Airboats chasin Bambi thru the glades .. ?
It's not the cheapest , easiest or fastest way to build a boat . Sheet aluminum seams in the middle of a panel will oilcan (warp) real bad even if it is braced up real good . It will print thru any place there is a bulkhead welded in place … lots to think about before you pull the trigger ..