Saltwater finds every wrong material choice. Marine fabricators along the Texas Gulf Coast build hulls, T-tops, towers, rails and dock hardware from a short list of alloys that survive it. We source marine aluminum and stainless, cut to size, and deliver from Houston down to Corpus Christi and beyond.
What marine shops put up with from big distributors
A boat shop's order is specific: a few sheets of marine plate in one temper, a handful of 316 tube lengths, some bar for fittings. Large service centers push toward full bundles and full sheets, quote slowly on non-standard tempers, and treat a small boat builder as a low priority account. Stainless and aluminum often come from different places.
We source both, quote them together, and cut plate and tube to what the job needs. Most quotes come back the same business day.
What marine fabricators typically buy
Hull and deck plate is 5xxx-series aluminum. 5052-H32 sheet and plate is the common choice for small boats, consoles and skiffs. It forms well and resists salt water. For larger hulls and plate below the waterline, 5086-H116 is often specified; it's stronger and its H116 temper is tested for resistance to exfoliation and intergranular corrosion in marine service. We source 5086 on request.
Above the deck, 6061 tube and extrusions build T-tops, towers and frames, with 1.66" and 1.9" OD pipe sizes common. 6061 is fine above the waterline but is not the pick for hull plate, since the 5xxx alloys hold up better submerged and weld without as much strength loss.
For rails and hardware, 316 stainless is the rule. Its molybdenum content resists pitting from chlorides where 304 tea-stains in months. Stainless tube in 7/8" and 1" OD makes bow rails and grab rails, and 316 bar covers shafts, pins and machined fittings.
One warning worth repeating: stainless fasteners on aluminum need isolation, such as nylon washers or a barrier compound, or galvanic corrosion eats the aluminum around the hole.
Welding matters in the choice too. 5052 and 5086 keep much more of their strength next to a weld than 6061-T6 does, which loses a large share of its strength in the heat-affected zone. Filler is usually 5356 for 5xxx plate. If the design depends on 6061 strength at a welded joint, the engineer should account for it.
How we help
- Marine aluminum and 316 stainless on one quote, from one contact
- Plate waterjet cut to your panel files, tube saw cut to length
- Mill certs on request, including temper verification for marine plate
- Delivered along the Texas coast and across the state