Click for JetForums Click for Glendinning Click for Perko Click for Burger Click for Walker

40yr old fiberglass vs. 40 yr old aluminum

Discussion in 'Chris Craft Roamer Yacht' started by Ohana, Aug 31, 2013.

  1. jhall767

    jhall767 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2010
    Messages:
    319
    Location:
    Middle River MD
    Not sure what you are referring to as the CAPAC meter but it has no connections to the battery at all. It only measures voltage potential between the hull and the water. The CAPAC meter is your friend. Are you possibly thinking of an active system?

    x2 on the TefGel.

    What pettit product are you talking about? The Alumacoat SR or the Econea?
  2. jflongwell

    jflongwell Member

    Joined:
    Aug 27, 2008
    Messages:
    57
    Location:
    Watkins Glen on Seneca Lake
    CAPAC system

    I was referring to the CAPAC power supply. There is a lead to the battery that supplies 12v to the power supply when there is no AC available (shore power), but also provides a "trickle charge" to the batteries when AC is available. If left connected to the battery this current flow will ruin the battery.

    John
  3. jhall767

    jhall767 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2010
    Messages:
    319
    Location:
    Middle River MD
    What paint were you talking about?
  4. Ohana

    Ohana New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 30, 2013
    Messages:
    16
    Location:
    Dallas TX
    Mahalo to all

    Mahalo to all who have replied - jhall, homer and bolsado thanks for your insights and information regarding Aluminum. Your hands on experience with the material is most valuable. I am particularly intrigued by the CAPAC comments from homer and his provided solution. Thanks for being so thorough in your presentation of solution. If I may, let me steer the conversation back to the original question a bit with an additional query. On a 40 year old hull today, in 20 years from now, who votes Aluminum and who votes fiberglass as the more likely of seaworthy vessels given equal attention?
    The second question is related, but some answers might change due to the specific use outlined next. If 100 miles offshore in the Gulf of Mexico, or crossing the gulf stream headed to the Bahamas, and you get caught in a squall with 8 foot seas, which hull do you want underneath you ? Again, same setup 40y old 60' FG Commander or 55' Al Roamer? Reasons?

    Mahalo to all
  5. Ohana

    Ohana New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 30, 2013
    Messages:
    16
    Location:
    Dallas TX
    Here's some pics

    For those interested, here is a picture of the fiberglass candidate. It's a 1968 CC Commander 60' out of Virginia. You can see more of her at 1968 Chris-Craft 60 Commander Power Boat For Sale - www.**************, pretty nice original example of classic era CC yachts. Anybody know anything valuable about the maintenance history of this boat? I will try to get some pics of the 1973 Al CC Roamer 55'. Anyone feel like committing their vote on questions in prior post?

    Mahalo

    Attached Files:

  6. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 11, 2005
    Messages:
    14,432
    Location:
    Fort Lauderdale
    It looks like she's sitting in Great Bridge. Call the yard and ask them, as they'd most likely be the ones doing the maintanence....I think it's Atlantic yacht and ship.....or Atlantic boat basin or something along those lines.
  7. bolsado

    bolsado Member

    Joined:
    Dec 19, 2008
    Messages:
    139
    Location:
    Sacramento
    Al or fg

    I am certainly not an expert but consider what the pros do

    Pacific northwest fishermen seem to be using al exclusively on new boats

    The seas up there are pretty rough on a regular basis

    In the gulf i think a lot of the newer crew boats serving the oil rigs are AL as well

    Either material can degrade through neglect and either can be repaired

    Metal can bend before it breaks and you can repair a more specific spot vs chasing internal rot inside a fg hull

    As for paint al does not need paint its only to make it look pretty and in some ways can hide corrosion issues

    My boat is my age only a couple of coats of bottom paint since new last coat was coal tar and i tell u that stuff was a sincere pain in the you know what to remove

    Photos to follow in a couple of days
  8. ELS_Huntsville

    ELS_Huntsville New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 22, 2011
    Messages:
    20
    Location:
    Lake Guntersville Yacht Club
    The hulls of both the aluminum Chris Craft Roamer and Commander series are very strong and most models ride very well in open waters. We owned a 1967 31' Commander; she like the others in her style series were "tanks". We traded her for our 58' Roamer (the hell with 2-foot-itis!) and found her to be an even bigger tank. Big boat wakes do not bother us a bit.