wash but it was either the kind or they didn't use it correctly. IMHO, aluminum is just to difficult to deal with to be successful over a long period of cruising. The beach landings, the hauling it out over rocks, the dropping anchors in it from either the mother ship or it's own anchor while skin diving, the constant sand in the bottom all lead me to believe that fiberglass is a better way to go. Once again, MHO.