Tinnies - why did they never catch on?

gobnaitolunacy

Basically aluminium leisure craft, popular in Australia/NZ and the US. Why did they never catch on here?

Seems to be a practical material for boats.

aujopimur

I thought this was going to be about beer.

Freedive Ireland

Its a good question often wondered about it and like the emperors new clothes figured someone else must have thought it. Ribs are cerntainly most popular for diving as they are pretty robust and low enough to get into.

gobnaitolunacy

There is a company that makes an alum version of a rib also, they're in NZ I think, mate showed it to me on website whilst Down Under.

The interesting thing about Oz is the apparantly high level of boat ownership. People are seemingly well used to the water, unlike the Celtic Tiger showoffs who bought boats without a notion of how to handle them.

tricky D

Moved to Sailing and Boating from Maritime

Tabnabs

gobnaitolunacy wrote: »

Basically aluminium leisure craft, popular in Australia/NZ and the US. Why did they never catch on here?

Seems to be a practical material for boats.

One word, electrolysis. People with a smattering of knowledge on the subject and many hours of bar stool chat about it surmise that it's not worth the hassle.

There are quite a few European boat builders using this material however.

gobnaitolunacy

Tabnabs wrote: »

One word, electrolysis. People with a smattering of knowledge on the subject and many hours of bar stool chat about it surmise that it's not worth the hassle.

There are quite a few European boat builders using this material however.

Wouldn't a correctly fitted anode sort that?
How come every alum boat in the States/Southern Hemisphere doesn't have great big holes in them then?

fergal.b

It might also be something to do with the fact that we don't have many if any aluminium mines in europe where as the southern hemisphere would have loads, we have a tradition here of wooden boats and people don't like change even fiberglass boats were snubbed when they first arrived. After the war there were a lot of aluminium bots made in the UK as aircraft factories were no longer in big demand they turned their hand to boats like saunders roe or SARO who build sea planes.
Some of the boats that took off were

Saro terrapin
Pearly miss
Delta
albatross

Tow

gobnaitolunacy wrote: »

How come every alum boat in the States/Southern Hemisphere doesn't have great big holes in them then?

I have you ever looked along the waterline of the HSS Stena Explorer close up. Soon the patches will have patches.

Donie75

Sea Nymph aluminium dinghies were popular for a while but the rivets used to pop when used in rough conditions and at sea and apparently the rivets were attacked by salt. They were fine on freshwater lakes.
I saw a heavy duty welded aluminium boat before and it was a lovely job and very robust. The Buster brand are supposed to be very good too. There's one on Lough Ree.
I'm still devastated that I missed out on the old Albatross that was for sale on Donedeal down in Cork. Now that would have been a lovely project.

fergal.b

I have a friend who has just finished doing up this Delta powered by a ford v4, looks the business

breghall

That looks fab, why didn't he do us the pleasure of a restore thread on here. ANy chance he'd put up a vid of it running? would love to hear it go..

fergal.b

breghall wrote: »

That looks fab, why didn't he do us the pleasure of a restore thread on here. ANy chance he'd put up a vid of it running? would love to hear it go..

He has not been out yet since the rebuild but there is a clip of him running beforehand here and as you will see he nearly lost the boat because of a burst cooling pipe :eek:

Mr.Boots

Had one years ago in the sea scouts.
It was pretty uncomfortable to travel in if the sea was anything but flat calm.
No idea what brand it was.

davlacey

sheet aluminium is far more expensive then sheet steel in this country so its more costly. its alot cheaper in the us & nz and theres not much benefit building one from aluminium unless u want to keep the weight down

icedtea

Fergal that boat is gorgeous, great to see people restoring old boats like that one, even if they don't have sails.....

fergal.b

icedtea wrote: »

Fergal that boat is gorgeous, great to see people restoring old boats like that one, even if they don't have sails.....

Just for you http://www.powerboat.ie/forums/topic/4540-souwester-revival/

whacker1982

fergal.b wrote: »

It might also be something to do with the fact that we don't have many if any aluminium mines in europe where as the southern hemisphere would have loads, we have a tradition here of wooden boats and people don't like change even fiberglass boats were snubbed when they first arrived. After the war there were a lot of aluminium bots made in the UK as aircraft factories were no longer in big demand they turned their hand to boats like saunders roe or SARO who build sea planes.
Some of the boats that took off were

Saro terrapin
Pearly miss
Delta
albatross

how dose one know so much?

tin79

Donie75 wrote: »

Sea Nymph aluminium dinghies were popular for a while but the rivets used to pop when used in rough conditions and at sea and apparently the rivets were attacked by salt. They were fine on freshwater lakes.
I saw a heavy duty welded aluminium boat before and it was a lovely job and very robust. The Buster brand are supposed to be very good too. There's one on Lough Ree.
I'm still devastated that I missed out on the old Albatross that was for sale on Donedeal down in Cork. Now that would have been a lovely project.

Agree with the comments, had a nymph for a while. Real pain with the rivets leaking. Got the problem rivets replaced but never really got it leakproof which bothered me.

Got rid of it (with full disclosure of the leaks I might add new owner didnt seem to mind) after that.

Was a grand little craft, light and nippy but eveytime you hit a big wave the rivets seemsd to stretch.

whacker1982

could be a dump question here, but instead of rivits why not weld?

pedroeibar1

fergal.b wrote: »

Just for you http://www.powerboat.ie/forums/topic/4540-souwester-revival/

Here is another, photo from c1968 in Dublin Bay, the Dragon sailors will immediately know who it is

fergal.b

whacker1982 wrote: »

could be a dump question here, but instead of rivits why not weld?

I guess it comes back from the aircraft companies all planes were riveted and most still are today as it makes a stronger bond can be fixed in the field without any welding equipment, aluminium is also very hard to weld without burning or making fractures so any planes that are welded today with fancy new welders and highly skilled men have to be x- rayed were as rivets can be inspected by eye.