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View Full Version : Poly vs Ali vs Fibreglass



Kopey
17-09-2006, 12:13 AM
I feel this is a valid topic to bring up here in the boating section of a fishing web site but if you feel this is not then please say so here now and I'll withdraw it. Don't be a little coward and weakling and report to the mods, just tell me here straight.

Otherwise I wouldn't mind some thoughts and input as to what people reckon on the pros and cons of these materials. #;)

No need for argueing, just a perfectly normal discussion thank you.

Cheers Ads

PS: Don't know why this post had to be deleted, perhaps give us a reason? #:-?

manchild
17-09-2006, 06:52 AM
You unleashed a beast my friend.Good luck with it ;D
Poly all the way here,i just can not see what would i get for an extra $8000 ,half a warranty and some touch up paint maybe?corrosion?dryrot?
cheers
George

finga64
17-09-2006, 08:06 AM
They all have there place and there's a place for all of them.
I have all three types.
2 fiberglass boats. 1 @ 3.75m and 1 @5m
1 alloy tinny @3.75
I have to say the little glass is more stable in the water then the tinny but the tinny can get to a lot more places been a v-nose punt type.
All are good for there intended uses

Oooh and the poly. In our house it's call the wheely bin. ;)
Aah, just kidding.
I think their concept is amasing and was looking at buying one but the tinny showed it's ugly head and that's the way I went. I wished they had a poly about 3.75m. If they did I probably would have gone the poly path instead :-/

Love to hear reports about 10 year old poly's if someone has one that old.
Cheers Scott

pegasus
17-09-2006, 08:32 AM
Hey Kopey,

It be an interesting exercise wouldnt it- 5.3 m size- press tinnie, plate tinnie, fibre and poly- but I suppose then brands would come into it - some fibres/tinnies have a good rep others. The mass produced ally finds it hard to stack up against the some of the great plate boats out there.

My thoughts considering that I d be on a budget an trying to get the most for my dollar,seaworthiness ,ride ,comfort, durablity, easy launching, easy maintenance- would be a poly- yep suppose I have a leaning there- because I have owned a fair few tinnies,a couple of fibreglass rigs an now own a poly- its not prefect- sometimes I wish for a bigger craft then at times when I am up at monduran or in a creek I am thinking glad I havent got the larger craft- solution- 2 boats- but then again been there- too much time in cost and maintenance time- amybe I ll win the lotto :)

It s funny polys, seem to come in for a fair bit of bagging yet thier owners generally speak highly of them. Over heard a guy in a tackle store yesterday - "buying a new rig- was looking at a poly - but cant deck them out - am going to a fibreglass" and of course his money- is his choice-however I am not sure what he meant by decking out- what he had in mind but I cant think of too much that cant be done to an other boat that cant be done to a poly- some times you may have to think of things a bit different but it still all happens- bait tanks /boards , berely buckets , biminis clears,targa tops,rocket launches side pockets etc all fitable

My apoliges- get a bit carried away an jibber at times.

Poly it is.

best regards

MrWong
17-09-2006, 09:49 AM
POLY - ENOUGH SAID ;)

brettski3
17-09-2006, 12:46 PM
this place seems to be dominated by poly lovers.
The only poly i have been in popped and wobbled as it hit waves, not the best feeling in a boat.

Big_unit
17-09-2006, 01:30 PM
I dont think it matters a whole lot from brand new, every hull material is good and basically depends on your budget, application and taste.

To answer the question here is how I rank them -
Fibreglass
Poly & Plate alloy ( pretty even )
Pressed alloy

The biggest problem with boats I can see is the owner / operator who does not perform regular and or correct maintenance, & fit out. I see it often enough where an owner / operator who performs thier own fitouts or maintenance and its just the most sub standard quality work and then they have the audacity to blame the manufacturer and or dealer for thier own fault. Fitout work should be done by professionals with the right tools and knowledge. In saying that there are hulls out there that have design faults but they never last long before they are history.

Cheers
James

krazyfisher
17-09-2006, 02:52 PM
I like the glass than plate than poly than pressed.
the glass can be made into any shape therefore in theory should be able to give the best ride.
poly should be able to be moulded into any shape but they have seemed to use a simular hull as a tiny well atleast in the 4.55 poly that I had. loved how it did not rust or dry rot etc but it was wet and bobbed rather than cut thru. I did not like how the side where rounded on the inside made it hard to fish hard up against the sides.

If they made a poly with the same hull style as say one of the good riding glass hulls I think I might just go back to poly.

Its all horses for courses if I fished creeks and dams I would buy a 4.1 poly.

I still like glass for the blue stuff

jim_likes_2_fish
17-09-2006, 04:32 PM
Well my decision came down to price, what can I get for the money I have. The answer Polycraft.
I dont have anything against glass and alloy.
This was my first boat. I wanted something with a console, front casting deck and about 4.5m in length.
I'm not that good with the whole mechanical thing so I wanted to buy new and have hassle free boating.
So for under 20k I got a 4.55 frontrunner, 60hp E-Tech, underfloor tank, Sounder/gps, bimini, bait board, nav's and bildge pump.
Quintrex was around 21k for the same thing with less warranty, 40hp 2-stroke then to add all the other things on top.
So I'm totatly happy with my purchase. It gets a bit wet when you get a bit of chop and some wind from the side so I am thinking about some front clears but apart from that I am really happy with the over all package.
Just my 2 cents. I would probably look at plate ally or glass if I was going to 5.5 or 6m boat for offshore use. :D
Cheers Jim

marlinqld
17-09-2006, 04:39 PM
Poly was invented for wheelie bins and ice cream containers..... ;) ;) :o ::) :P

StevenM
17-09-2006, 07:30 PM
Well I am seriouly thinking the next toy will be a 5.3 Polly front runner

keeps the wife happy and by the look of it should keep me happy.

will have to go for a bit of a ride in one first and in ulgy water

cheers

Steven

PADDLES
17-09-2006, 09:09 PM
they're all good i reckon. you've just gotta choose what's going to suit your usage the best. ie. if you need a creek boat that will be skull dragged over stuff and then lifted onto the roof of your landcruiser then alloy is the go because of the weight. fibreglass is no good for bashing into rocks but is fantastic in a bit of sea. poly is very durable but also quite heavy. horses for courses ;)

TonyM
17-09-2006, 09:26 PM
100% horses for courses. I've owned all 3 types (plus a few wooden ones).

I currently have 3 Poly boats including one that's about 30 years old (Finga - shoot me a pm if you wanna know more) ;)

- Poly's and glass generally aren't as good as tinnies for cartoppers. ::)
- Glass and alloy are higher maintenance than Poly's :P
- Poly's design isn't as flexible as glass (unless you can afford injection moulding)
- Glass and alloy can't survive attacks from a hammer or shotgun (had to slip that in) ;) ;D
- Alloy WILL corrode no matter what you do (you can only control how fast/slow it happens) :(
- Glass is easiest to modify

This list could go on for days, basically always comes back to horses for courses. As you fishing style changes so too do your needs in a boat, as your experience changes the same often happens.

Basically I just love boats, wood, glass, alloy, poly have had them all and love them all.

fishfrenzy
18-09-2006, 12:08 PM
GO THE POLY!!! :) :) :)

lippa
18-09-2006, 01:47 PM
my boat is ally

my esky is poly

and i havent found a good use for glass, yet! ;D

Spaniard_King
18-09-2006, 03:56 PM
i havent found a good use for glass, yet! ;D

Beer Lippa ;D ;D ;D

lippa
18-09-2006, 07:25 PM
very true!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


and berocca, the morning after...............beer!!!!

brettski3
18-09-2006, 10:23 PM
take a run in a haines in a cranky sea and you will see a use for glass boats

Dirtysanchez
19-09-2006, 04:12 PM
Geez my fibreglass boat ran rings around the tinny's I have been in for comfort, and I have been in quite a few tinny's thanks.. :)
Even a bloody great big plate job, 7.6mtr sports cabin thing from Rebel at Bulimba, and all the alloy boats run hard into the chop etc. The glass tends to flex a little & takes a bit out of the bounce

Now if the Poly does that and is more durable than a glass boat after 15 years, then it is a good thing maybe

I love by poly 80lt esky, if that helps ;D

PS, glass bottles and boats don't really mix, I usually buy a slab of cans for a day out.. hey, there you go, a good use for tinnys !!

Whatever_vc
19-09-2006, 06:41 PM
Hey Lippa what about beer in stubbies