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+--- Thread: What is a plate aluminium boat? (/Thread-What-is-a-plate-aluminium-boat)
What is a plate aluminium boat? - toyota1515 - 09-29-2022
While tinnies are made from alloy with a softer temper that allows the aluminium to be easily pressed into shape, a plate boat (as the name suggests) is built from heavy-gauge, high-tensile 5083 aluminium cut from flat plate.
A true plate boat draws great strength from an engineered sub-floor frame that supports, braces and stiffens the hull. A plate boat also has a fully-welded and sealed aluminium floor, which essentially turns the entire hull into one very rigid structure.
Smooth sides don't turn a tinnie into a plate boat, so if you can see ribs or extrusion frames running down the inside of a boat's hull — with tabs and screws holding down a carpeted plywood floor — it's a dead giveaway the boat is built using the tinnie construction method (or a hybrid of it).
Plate boats are designed and built to last, so the console, cabin or hard top is welded to the floor to become one with the hull. If it's screwed down, it's another sign the boat you're looking at isn't a real plate boat.
RE: What is a plate aluminium boat? - SpbPTSml - 09-29-2022
Plate boats should be made from 5083 Structural Marine Grade. Avaliable in machine extruded sections and Flat sheets. Can not be pressed with ribbs etc. It will crack it. The wilding properties of this material are Excelent.
Pressed boats are created from non structural marine grade alloy, 5251 if i am correct from memory. This is much lighter and is usually rolled onb a coil for transport and ease of use, can be easily pressed into shape, However welds are not as strong and the material is usually not as thick.
As others have said, Research research research. Idealy what you are after if you are after a plate boat is something with tightly stacked bulkheads and continuious stringers. If you find a system like that and your comfortable with the builder go for it.. Its a lot of hard work to find the right builder.