Materials to use

[Sgray]

Im going to build a V Hull bass boat but i am new to the boat build what type of material should i use to build the hull i know about wood, but i heard that it roots and i want a material i can use that want break are crack easily and something that can with stand me flying though the water at about 60 mph and take. So everyone give me your ideals im building this boat from scratch.

Yes wood will rot. Wood means more maintenance than fiberglass in general, so many builders seek to use foam cores instead of wood and to eliminate all wood, especially from modern production boats. Typical troublespots are stringers, floors, and transoms which often are not sealed properly, water gets in, the owners don't pay any attention for years and years, and then rot takes its toll. On the other hand, there are lots of very very beautiful wood boats that have been taken care of carefully and diligently over the years and that are real show stoppers. 60 mph doesn't rule out wood - the amount of maintenance you want to do and your preference as far as what to work in, tolerance for fumes, skill and time, etc. will make the decision.

Have You given a thought for aluminium. It's easy material to use and the difficulties of welding are exxagerated. Use materials AlMg3 or AlMg4.5 and You have a light but still very strong construction. You need light structures to achieve 60 mph...

[mbrault]

Since most of the different technics are not "ruled out" because of the 60mph, I would probably use a material that I am confortable with... To have work a bit with both material, I would say look at your ressources:

Steel (probably out because of the weight -weight and speed don't match): will require ability in welding / grinding and epoxy

alu: light and easy to work with (you might need to practice the welding technics a little, but we would probably get the idea after a couple of hours...)

Epoxy and all the multi-layer technics involves alot of p-a-t-i-e-n-c-e and are never pleasant to work with unless you have experience (involves alot of dummy testing before doing the real thing) On the other side, it does not require alot of maintenance and is very ligth

Wood: Can be a good solution, but requires more skills then steel construction. And requires ALOT of maintenance.

[Timm]

Cold-molded wood boats require no more maintenance than glass. They are also stiffer and usually lighter. I would also bet that wood would be the least expensive to build.

[Baz]

a cheap 60 MPH boat,
Best off using Marine Grade Mahogany core reinforced with fiberglass. That way you avoid wasting money on a mold, need less layers of fiberglass, less resin, easier to build than aluminum.
but 60mph is a bit to fast to be going on a home built boat especially if its your first one.

[dougfrolich]

Building a one off with Baltek Durakore is a great option. In my opinion it is the best option for a strong, light wieght, one off project, provided that the overall laminate has been developed as part of the project.