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The problem with carbon fiber and epoxy composites. Once it cracks, you cannot repair it, easily. It relies on a continuous composite structure. You can't patch it because that patchwork joint will just be a weak spot.

So you are talking about writing off tens of millions of dollars of a boat just because someone lost control and hit something too hard.

Steel is infinitely repairable, cut out the damaged section and weld in new steel.

Damage will and does occur to boats.



The other big drawback is that damaged composites attend to violently fall to pieces, where metal would bend.


Steel - it doesn't lose strength when you bend it a little. Most other materials suffer fatigue and fail when you bend them repeatedly. This makes steel ideal for many things.




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