What is better, a Steel or a Fiberglass sailboat? This is a common question that does not have an easy answer. Both Steel and fiber have their advantages and disadvantages and depend mainly on the size and use that we will give to our boat.

Pros and cons of Steel boats versus fiberglass boats (Glass Reinforced Plastic or GRP):

Durability

Steel sailboat hulls are much stronger than fiber or GRP boats. In general, Steel allows stronger structures to be equal in weight. A Steel boat is much more robust, and its structure is more rigid, so a Steel boat will better withstand bumps and rubs. In the event of an impact, the Steel bends while a fiber boat breaks, this as long as it is not a very violent or large blow. Steel has a high ductility or ability to withstand permanent deformations without breakage, and in this way, a Steel boat can be stranded on a beach, resisting the chafing of these abuses.

Steel hulls, if the right alloy is used, resist saltwater corrosion better than steel boats and do not require any special paint. They also suffer from galvanic or electrolytic corrosion that can be avoided with a well-insulated electrical installation and placing sacrificial anodes. Fiber boats do not suffer the effects of corrosion, although they can be affected by the phenomenon of osmosis and suffer from the sun’s ultraviolet rays.

Weight

Steel is a lighter material than fiber, this makes the construction of a Steel sailboat a lighter vessel. Therefore it will be faster and will need less power/wind to move the same distance as a fiber boat, which also means a lower consumption boat.

Manageability

Fiber boats being heavier are also more stable and solid at high speeds, and when the state of the sea begins to get choppy and complicated. A Steel boat at high speeds can feel more nervous and rough with a choppy sea.

Comfort

Steel boats are louder than fiber boats, especially at high speeds and with bad seas. It is is a better transmitter of temperature, and therefore and if it is not well insulated in its construction with a thick layer of polyurethane or other insulators, it will be hotter in hot and cold places in the winter. Steel boats also suffer from condensation problems more than fiber boats. Therefore a fiber boat can be somewhat more comfortable than a Steel boat.

Maintenance

Steel boats because of corrosion require greater maintenance, a problem to be monitored are the galvanic pairs of material, a corrosion effect that occurs when pieces of different metals are put together. We must be careful with the quality of any part or screw we use as it could cause us a serious problem. We must also clean the boat thoroughly with fresh water after each use.

Fiber boats do not have rivets, welds, or corrosion to worry about, although possible osmosis problems must be monitored every year, which, if not treated in time, can cause serious problems. However, osmosis problems with the new resins can be. They have palliated a lot with respect to helmets of 20 or 30 years ago. The anti-fouling that is a painting that is given to the live work of the boats to prevent different types of algae, barnacles, and snails from being embedded in the hull, is much more expensive for Steel boats than for boat fiber.

Repairs

Small dents in a Steel boat are easy to repair, but when the damage is in large areas of the hull, repairs are more difficult and expensive than in fiber boats. Welding in Steel is a very specialized and complicated job, finding professionals trained to repair fiber is easier and cheaper. However, a large and partial repair in a fiber hull does not guarantee the original strength since the structural tension will no longer be the same at all points.

Aesthetics

Fiberglass boats have a more beautiful, polished, and shiny finish. The surface finish of the Steel boats leaves the marks of the interior reinforcements marked. For these boats to look good, it is necessary to paint them with special and very thick paints. They are actually covered with putty to hide the inevitable buns and construction defects. This layer of putty must be polished by hand so that it is finished with a good finish and should be done in a controlled environment with dust extraction. It is definitely a complicated process, very expensive, and that greatly increases the price of this type of boats.

Safety

It is true that the GRP burns faster and easier, so in the event of a fire, a Steel boat will always be safer. Fiber or GRP boats are built with petroleum products and therefore are combustible. Also, before an impact with a rock, it is easier to make a waterway in a fiber boat than in a Steel one.

Residual Value

The wear and tear of fiberglass boats are greater over the years, exposure to sunlight and osmosis do not affect Steel boats. They also better resist the encrustation of seaweed and marine crustaceans. The greater rigidity and structural strength also make Steel ships stand up better over the years, and for all this, they depreciate less than fiber boats.

Cost

Fiber boats allow serial construction from a first mold or design, this leads to faster manufacturing and lower construction costs. For this and as we have explained before, Steel ships are generally much more expensive than GRP ships.

Pros and Cons of Steel Sailboats – Summary

In general, Steel allows for stronger structures, but it is much more expensive to build than in GRP. For small boats, which is the case of recreational boating, in which there is no need for large structural resistance, the GRP is undoubtedly a good choice. As the ship grows in size, the thing gets complicated, since the GRP is not able to give the required resistance to the ship without an already significant weight gain.