Aluminium or Steel?

So many boats are built out of steel compared to aluminium, but is this really the right choice.

Broadly speaking to build a boat in aluminium of a similar strength to a steel hull then the aluminium will have to be around 1.5 times thicker, however the resulting weight of the structure would be more than 35% less. The impression I get is that either would be able withstand a similar amount of “damage”, however steel is definitely more resistant to abrasion.

Aluminium is around twice the cost of steel, so the initial outlay in materials is higher for Aluminium. However Aluminium is a much easier material to work with. Also aluminium boat doesn’t need painting inside or outside above the waterline except for cosmetic reasons. More care/experience is needed in the construction of an aluminium boat

Steel is much more prone to corrosion than aluminium and a lot of time and effort must go into its prevention in a steel hull. Aluminium develops a layer of oxidisation which protects it from further corrosion. However in an aluminium hull care must be taken with the electrical system and the isolation of dissimilar metals.

In general an aluminium boat will have a higher resale than a steel boat. Though this is probably because most aluminium boats are professionally built.

It certainly seems to me that aluminium is gaining popularity, paticularly for blue water cruising.

Michael Kasten has some in depth articles on his website which are also easy to read and understand.

Please comment with your thoughts or experiences.