You will stroke more keeping the boat strait in a plugging situation rowing a rounded chine boat(fiberglass)compared to a tin boat. They plug fine but you will row more.

As far as moving across current easier...I wouldent say they move faster or easier. You just have to be more sideways in a sharp chinned boat. And yes if your in a tight chute and the boat is heading sideways the wrong direction, it will be more difficult to straiten out. But those round chines in a skinny chute dont always keep you in the line you set up for. Thats were I tell the biggest difference!
So they all have the strongs and weaks. Maybe begginers should look to glass and then graduate to Aluminum. All I know is I rowed that clack many hours in the 10 years I owned it and when I got my Willie I couldent believe the difference!!!!

Maybe we should organize a short float on the Sky on easy water with about 5 different manufactures of boats and let people who want to try them show up and row a bit then pull over and change boats ect. If we set it up right (date). I could bring a clack and a Willie and Beezer could bring a Lavro maybe. Might be fun! Oh we could fish too!

When on the river pay attention to the boats going by and how hard or easy the guy is working. Also look at the way the boat sits in the water. Both bow and stern should be close to the same distance from the stern edge and the bow lower point to the water level. Usaully this can be achieved by moving the seats and adjusting the weight. Some mass produced tin boats drag @@s and dont hold well no matter were the seats are.

Bob D