Chris, I will PM You an eMail address for a friend of Mine who built an aluminum boat from plans originally drawn for plywood. He built it before I knew Him, so I don't know all the details.

Hello again Chris, in a sense, the channels, grooves, angles, and other shapes that are added or formed into the hull of a boat can have a considerable effect on the stability and handling of it. Various hull designs will yield better handling in different types of water. You should probably consider the type of water you will be using your boat in and look for the design that will best suit your application. Some hull designs are well suited for shallow water and generally are more of a flat-bottom type. Others might take into account being used in rougher water or rivers and the design of their hulls are such that they cut through the water and don't subject you to a physical pounding in the process. If you plan on fishing or hunting from your boat you won't want one that will be unstable or rock easily so take this into account as you're considering your options. Look at your type of use and consider all of the choices that you have for design before you necessarily choose one. As Dave mentioned, whether you build a boat out of wood, metal, fiberglass or some other medium, the design determines how well it handles or works for your purpose, the material used is simply a matter of what you might be familiar with or willing to work with or how much weight you want to deal with or cost. A bit more for you to consider. Best regards, Allan