carbon fiber sailboat hull

March 19, 2024

Max Stratum

Carbon fiber in marine applications: benefits for boat hulls and racing yachts.

boat hulls , carbon fiber , innovation , lightweight materials , marine engineering , material science , naval design , performance enhancement , racing yachts , watercraft

What You Will Learn

Why Carbon Fiber is Ideal for Boat Hulls

Ever pondered the enigma of why carbon fiber reigns supreme for boat hulls among seasoned seafarers and boat enthusiasts alike? Delve into the mesmerizing realm of this airy yet robust material that has completely transformed the marine industry.

Imagine yourself amidst the vast expanse of the open sea, with the wind tousling your hair and waves frolicking below. You crave a hull that effortlessly glides through the water, cutting through waves with elegance and nimbleness. This is where carbon fiber swoops in like a caped crusader of boat building materials, offering unparalleled strength without cumbersome heft. As Sir Ben Ainslie eloquently put it, “Carbon fiber enables us to push beyond limits on water.” Who wouldn’t want to experience pushing boundaries while sailing across high seas?

The Impact of Carbon Fiber on Speed and Performance

Carbon fiber, the undisputed champion in boat hull speed and performance. It’s as if your boat sprouted wings while others are left paddling aimlessly. The mind-boggling strength-to-weight ratio of carbon fiber results in a lighter hull, leading to lightning-fast acceleration and jaw-dropping top speeds. Picture it – a sports car on water, effortlessly overtaking the competition.

I can still vividly recall that one time I was aboard a carbon fiber vessel; the wind was just perfect, and I could feel the boat slicing through the water like butter under a hot knife. The sensation was electrifying! As Paul Elvstrøm famously said, “The more you know, the more you realize you don’t know.” And let me tell you, once you’ve tasted the thrill of speed and agility on a carbon fiber boat, there’s no turning back. It becomes an addiction of sorts – but in all the right ways.

Durability: How Carbon Fiber Enhances Longevity

What mysterious power does carbon fiber possess that elevates it to the status of a superhero among boat hull materials in terms of durability and longevity ? Picture this – while traditional materials struggle with the strength of a toddler attempting to lift a bag of marbles, carbon fiber confidently flexes its muscles like a seasoned bodybuilder. Its high tensile strength and resistance to corrosion enable it to scoff at wear and tear.

Envision your boat navigating through treacherous waters, waves crashing against it relentlessly like an unruly toddler throwing a tantrum. With carbon fiber as its armor, your boat’s hull stands firm like an ancient castle, defiantly enduring the test of time. As the wise Bruce Lee once proclaimed, “Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.” In the realm of boat hulls, choosing carbon fiber isn’t just about knowing what’s best it’s about taking action for unparalleled durability and longevity.

Weight Reduction: The Key Advantage of Carbon Fiber

Weight reduction, a crucial element in the world of maritime adventures, is a concept that never fails to bewilder boat enthusiasts. Among various hull materials, carbon fiber stands out as the undisputed lightweight champion, leaving all other contenders in its wake. Picture yourself gliding through the waves with the grace and agility of a dolphin, propelled by the sheer magic of this futuristic material. It’s as if your vessel is performing an elegant ballet on water, effortlessly captivating onlookers at every turn.

When grizzled old Captain Salty made the switch from his trusty fiberglass hull to one crafted from carbon fiber, he was overcome with awe at the transformation it brought about. “Arr mateys,” he exclaimed excitedly, “me ship feels lighter than air with this newfangled carbon fiber hull! It’s like sailing on a dream.” And indeed, his words held true – the weight reduction offered by carbon fiber has revolutionized boat racing and leisure cruising alike. Why settle for a cumbersome hull when you can embrace the feather-light marvel that is carbon fiber? Choose wisely, my fellow seafarers, for innovation beckons those who dare to sail into uncharted waters.

Resilience to Harsh Marine Environments

Sailing the vast oceans is an enigma, a journey filled with twists and turns much like weaving through a bustling bazaar on a crowded Saturday. The marine world presents a plethora of obstacles to challenge any vessel – from the biting sting of saltwater to the unforgiving scrape of sand and rocks. It’s akin to a never-ending dance of evasion, where you face off against Mother Nature herself without respite. Enter carbon fiber, swooping in like a superhero in its cape, poised to confront whatever challenges the ocean hurls its way.

Picture a boat hull crafted from carbon fiber as a valiant knight in shining armor, bravely standing tall against the salty waves and fierce winds. As esteemed engineer Jules Verne once mused, “The sea is everything. It covers seven-tenths of the terrestrial globe.” And if indeed the sea embodies all things, then carbon fiber emerges as the ultimate protector for boats seeking to conquer it all. Its innate ability to resist corrosion and withstand harsh conditions makes it the ideal ally for any vessel venturing forth with unwavering confidence. So as you navigate through waterways like an intrepid explorer of modern times, rest assured that your faithful carbon fiber hull has your back – or should I say, your bottom.

Customization Options with Carbon Fiber

When delving into the realm of customization options with carbon fiber, one is met with a whirlwind of possibilities that rival the boundless expanse of a sailor’s affection for the vast sea. From avant-garde, cutting-edge designs to traditional, ageless finishes, carbon fiber empowers boat owners to create vessels that truly command attention. As famously quoted by Toyoo Toyoda himself, “In the universe of boats and beyond, customization reigns supreme.”

Whether your heart desires a burst of vibrant hues, intricate patterns that mesmerize the eye, or even innovative features such as concealed storage compartments seamlessly integrated into the design – carbon fiber offers unparalleled versatility to bring your wildest dreams to fruition. By skillfully manipulating this adaptable material into any shape imaginable, you have free rein to infuse your boat with elements that mirror your individuality and flair. Echoing wisdom dictates that “A boat serves as an empty canvas awaiting transformation; carbon fiber stands poised as the artist’s tool.”

Cost Considerations: Is Carbon Fiber Worth the Investment?

Behold, the eternal quandary that perplexes boat lovers and experts alike – is carbon fiber truly a worthy investment for hull construction? Brace yourself, dear reader, as we embark on a journey through the turbulent waters of cost considerations surrounding this sleek and cutting-edge material.

Let’s dissect this like waves crashing against a sturdy vessel. Indeed, carbon fiber may have a reputation for residing on the pricier end of the boat-building spectrum. However, as the legendary sailor Larry Ellison once mused, “I am convinced more and more that the way to keep young is to keep your faith with the materials of which the world is made.” And my goodness, does carbon fiber embody one of those materials that uphold such faith. Its featherlight quality not only boosts fuel efficiency but also elevates speed and performance on vast oceans, rendering every spent penny akin to its weight in gold – or should I say its weight in carbon fiber? Therefore, when contemplating investing in your boating future, heed the insightful words of sea-loving pt Sarah Kay: “There are so many fragile things after all. People break so easily; dreams and hearts do too.” Yet fret not; with carbon fiber by your side, your dreams of serene sailing can remain unshakable amidst tumultuous waves.

Comparing Carbon Fiber to Traditional Hull Materials

In the realm of boat hull materials, longstanding options like fiberglass and aluminum have reigned supreme. However, in recent times, carbon fiber has emerged as a disruptive force in the marine industry – and with good cause! Its remarkable strength-to-weight ratio sets it apart from the rest, offering a level of performance that is truly unparalleled. As the esteemed naval architect Nat Herreshoff once mused, “Life’s most tumultuous storms reveal the fortitude of our anchors.” In this scenario, carbon fiber stands as that steadfast anchor, delivering unmatched durability and stability on the vast expanse of the open seas.

Contrary to conventional hull materials susceptible to corrosion and wear over time, carbon fiber boasts an impressive resilience that knows no bounds. Boat designer Bill Prince captured this sentiment aptly when he remarked, “The ocean bows only to God.” With carbon fiber hulls at their disposal, seafarers can traverse waters with unwavering confidence in knowing their vessels are engineered to endure even the harshest marine conditions. So next time you find yourself adrift at sea with wind tousling your hair, take a moment to marvel at the innovation and robustness that carbon fiber bestows upon the world of boating.

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27. April 2022, updated 6. August 2022

Circumnavigation , Hull Material , Sailboat , Sailing Cruiser , Technical Advice

Sailing Cruisers: The Ultimate Comparison of Hull Materials

Perhaps you have already read our article about the best reasons to live on a boat and we managed to convince you? And now you are looking for a proper cruiser sailboat to turn your dream of living as a liveaboard into reality? Sooner or later, you will definitely ask yourself which hull material is most suitable for a cruiser and this is exactly the question we want to discuss in the following.

Table of Contents

What Materials Are Considered?

The materials used for hull construction of sailboats are GRP (glass fiber reinforced plastic), carbon, Kevlar, wood, aluminum, steel, ferrocement and also various hybrids of these. Some of these materials are not suitable for use in cruisers due to their specific characteristics. Carbon and Kevlar usually only play a role in extremely lightweight high-performance boats typically found in racing, not to mention that they are astronomically expensive.

Wood disqualifies itself due to the extremely costly maintenance and thus it is not practical for use in cruisers. Ferrocement never really caught on as a hull material and primarily played a role as an easy-to-handle material in DIY sailboat construction. This leaves GRP, aluminum, and steel as materials that come into question for us.

GRP vs. Aluminum vs. Steel

In the following, we will take a closer look at these three materials and compare them with each other under various aspects that are important for a cruiser.

GRP is the weakest of the three materials, especially when it comes to impact and abrasion resistance. However, the strength of GRP is highly dependent on its processing quality, as GRP can be laminated in very different ways, which can make for large differences in stability. For example, the first GRP boats built in the 1960s and 1970s often featured much thicker material thicknesses because people were not yet familiar with the material and this resulted in nearly indestructible hulls. There are also some manufacturers who additionally reinforce their GRP hulls with Kevlar or metal inserts. So, there are a lot of differences in terms of stability, but in general a GRP hull is clearly inferior to metal hulls in terms of stability.

In the video below you can see a few crash tests of a Dehler 31, which is made of GRP and takes the collisions impressively well.

Aluminum and steel hulls, on the other hand, have extremely high impact and abrasion resistance, with steel being even slightly superior to aluminum here, as steel is more elastic and has a higher tensile strength. Thus, a metal boat is much more robust and therefore safer than a GRP boat, especially in collisions.

GRP is far superior to steel in terms of weight. For boats up to about 40 feet, it is also superior to aluminum, since aluminum has a minimum thickness of about 5mm making smaller boats heavier than their GRP competitors. Above the 40-foot mark, the tide can turn, and aluminum may be lighter than GRP, but it depends on the exact construction.

Aluminum as a material itself weighs only about a third as much as steel, but the typical weight saving of a hull is typically 20-25% (but up to 50% savings are possible in some cases). This can be attributed to the fact that aluminum requires thicker material thicknesses than steel.

As should already be clear, steel boats are by far the heaviest of the materials we are considering here.

Sailing Characteristics

The sailing characteristics are of course not primarily dependent on the hull material, but rather on other characteristics such as the hull shape, the rig, etc. Nevertheless, certain characteristics are attributable to the hull material.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Oyster Yachts (@oysteryachts)

GRP boats sail very fast because of their low weight, but the residual flexibility that is unavoidable in the material can cause annoying creaking noises inside the boat.

Aluminum boats, on the other hand, also sail very fast, but much more stiffly and you are not plagued by creaking noises.

Steel also makes for stiff sailing and there are no creaking noises, but due to the enormous weight, a steel boat sails rather sluggishly. However, the high weight also gives steel boats good-natured sailing behavior, which is more likely to forgive too much sail area.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by WELTREISE | ABENTEUER | MEER (@bluehorizon_exploration)

Interior Space

Unlike metal hulls, a GRP hull does not need an internal reinforcement structure that reduces the space inside the boat. Thus, GRP boats offer a lot of interior space relative to their dimensions.

The stability of aluminum hulls, on the other hand, depends on an internal reinforcement structure (consisting of frames and stringers), which takes up some of the valuable space inside the boat. Especially for smaller boats this can be more important than you might think. In the image below you can see the construction of an aluminum hull built by Dutch shipyard KM Yachtbuilders.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by KM Yachtbuilders (@kmyachtbuilders)

Steel boats also need such a reinforcement structure, but it is much more compact than that of aluminum boats, thus offering more interior space.

Insulation Properties

Due to its sandwich construction, GRP is inherently a poor conductor of thermal energy and therefore requires little insulation and, under certain conditions, none at all. Along with the good insulating properties, GRP boats also have less condensation to contend with than their metal competitors. In addition, it also has good sound insulation.

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Aluminum and steel boats have very similar properties in terms of insulation. Both materials are very good thermal conductors, which makes good insulation essential. Due to the cold bridges found in metal boats, a lot of condensation occurs inside the boat. The sound insulation of metal hulls is also poor.

Visual Design Options

GRP hulls offer a lot of room for styling, since gelcoats are available in all possible colors and applying them is easy. Another big advantage of GRP is that round shapes can be realized very easily with this material, which makes ergonomics and design very appealing.

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In contrast to GRP boats, round shapes in metal boats can only be achieved with significantly more cost as this requires a lot of effort and special skill in welding. The many welds on metal boats can in some cases look rather rustic, which may bother some people.

Aluminum hulls usually leave the shipyard unpainted, as painting them is very time-consuming and expensive and therefore rather unusual. The raw aluminum look does not appeal to everyone.

Steel boats can be painted as desired, but they almost always have minor visual rust spots somewhere, which are hardly avoidable.

Safety During Thunderstorms

Unlike metal boats, a GRP boat offers no protection to the boat, equipment, and crew against lightning strikes, and you are dependent on a proper lightning conductor system.

In contrast, boats made of aluminum and steel provide excellent protection against lightning strikes purely due to their construction, because they act as a Faraday cage – the inside of the electric field created by a lightning strike is reliably shielded.

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Risk of Material Decomposition

A known risk of material degradation of GRP is osmosis, which occurs when the hull is not properly protected, and moisture can penetrate through the gelcoat where the moisture collects in the hull cavities. The resin in the laminate is decomposed by the penetrated moisture and an acid is produced. Due to its chemical properties, it draws further moisture into the cavities. The pressure in these then increases and pushes the gelcoat outward forming blisters. The brittle gelcoat cracks open and the laminate is progressively decomposed as osmosis continues.

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However, we want to emphasize that osmosis is often overdramatized, and we are not yet aware of any case where a boat has actually sunk because of osmosis. Nevertheless, you should not underestimate this danger and prevent it from happening in the first place through proper care. Unfortunately, structural defects in the hull of used boats caused by osmosis are difficult to see as a non-expert.

In the case of aluminum, there is a risk of galvanic corrosion, in which the base metal aluminum decomposes under the influence of electric current when it comes into contact with a more noble metal. Although such galvanic corrosion can cause considerable damage to the boat within a very short time, this risk can be virtually eliminated if the boat is professionally constructed and regularly maintained. However, this means that any electrical leakage currents must be eliminated, and the many sacrificial anodes must be maintained. Besides, when it comes to electrical installations, you need to know what you’re doing.

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Steel is generally known to be very susceptible to corrosion. Once steel comes into contact with oxygen in the presence of water, rust forms as a result of oxidation. As owner of a steel boat, there is not much you can do against the constant danger of corrosion, except to always make sure that the steel is protected from external elements, which requires a lot of maintenance. In addition, it should be emphasized that the greatest danger of corrosion is the rusting through of the hull from the inside to the outside and not the other way around. Often it is difficult to see all the areas inside the hull and this harbors some undetected dangers.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Fundacja Klasyczne Jachty (@klasycznejachty)

Repairability

Even fairly extensive damages in the GRP can be repaired quickly and easily because all you need are fiberglass mats, resin, and hardener. Minor blemishes in the gelcoat such as scratches or small chipping can be repaired with ease.

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Repairing aluminum, on the other hand, is much more difficult, because you first need aluminum plates with the right alloy, and then you also need the right welding equipment. In addition, not everyone has the necessary know-how to weld aluminum properly. Minor blemishes such as scratches can be polished, and dents can be attempted to bulge from the inside. However, if you can’t get to the dent from the inside, you’ll have to live with it willy-nilly.

Steel must be welded as well, but suitable steel plates can be found in most workshops around the world and welding is also much easier than welding aluminum. In addition, the required welding equipment is cheaper and more widely available. The repair of scratches can be easily done yourself, but this is often much more time-consuming than repairing the gelcoat on GRP boats. Dents can be attempted to be removed in the same way as with aluminum boats.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dimos Ganiatsas (@dimosgan)

Maintenance Effort

The maintenance effort is kept within limits with GRP. You should just sand, fill and seal the underwater hull regularly. The great thing about GRP is that such maintenance can be postponed once in a while without having to fear immediately serious consequences (but don’t let it become a habit!).

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Aluminum boats also require little maintenance, as you only need to regularly renew the antifouling coating and maintain the numerous sacrificial anodes, as well as ensure that there is no potential for galvanic corrosion. However, unlike GRP, the maintenance of aluminum boats allows significantly less time leeway, because if galvanic corrosion does occur, it can cause significant damage in a very short period of time.

Steel boats, unlike GRP and aluminum, require constant maintenance, as there are virtually always some rust spots that should be treated early to prevent worse. At regular intervals, the entire hull should also be sand stripped followed by priming with an epoxy system and then sealing with a paint (polyurethane based). Although a steel hull does not rust as quickly as aluminum does with galvanic corrosion, you should avoid postponing maintenance for anything, otherwise nasty surprises can await you.

The cost of GRP boats, from serial and semi-custom production is the lowest compared to those for metal boats. This is mainly due to the fact that a mold only needs to be designed once, which can then be used for all builds of the model. Custom builds, on the other hand, cost significantly more because a mold must be made individually, which involves high costs.

Metal boats are more expensive in serial production as they require a lot of manual welding, with aluminum being even more expensive than steel due to the more complex processing and higher material prices. However, metal boats can be more attractive than GRP for custom builds, but it depends on the individual project.

In addition, it can be said that aluminum boats have a very good value retention compared to GRP and steel boats, which is also reflected in the second-hand market. On the second-hand market, aluminum boats are usually traded at very high prices, whereas GRP boats depreciate significantly and there is a large supply at low prices. The supply of steel boats is rather limited, but the prices for them are nevertheless rather low.

Besides these initial costs, you should also always consider the follow-up costs, because these can make a lot of difference in the long run, especially when you look at the differences in maintenance requirements. Consider how much time and money you will have to put into the boat and even if you want to do most of it yourself, keep your individual opportunity costs in mind.

A Summarizing Overview

In the table below, we have briefly summarized the various characteristics of the respective materials.

An Important Note

Finally, we want to note that there is no such thing as the perfect hull material, because as we have pointed out, each has its strengths and weaknesses. Keep in mind that the properties of the various materials we have discussed are the general ones that apply to most boats. However, the properties of a hull also depend on the specific boat because construction and quality of workmanship are at least as important as the material itself. When comparing different hull materials, you should always keep these differences in terms of construction and workmanship in mind and not compare apples with oranges. It would not make sense to compare a production GRP boat produced under cost pressure with a custom aluminum boat and then conclude that the GRP boat is inferior to the aluminum boat.

Our Recommendation

In general, we claim that for the majority of people a GRP boat makes the most sense. It is very user-friendly in both use and maintenance and is also relatively affordable. We see no reasons against the use in bluewater or for a circumnavigation, although this scene is strongly influenced by advocates of metal boats. We can certainly understand the aspect of increased safety of metal boats, especially in collisions, but we doubt that this justifies the disadvantages of steel or the additional costs of aluminum. Severe collisions are of course a high risk, but always keep in mind how low the probability of such a collision actually is. Nevertheless, we can understand that the increased sense of safety is a very high priority for some.

When using the boat under extreme conditions, such as in Antarctica or Patagonia, we would also want to use a metal boat due to its increased robustness. So, it’s best to ask yourself honestly which areas you actually want to sail.

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In addition, you should also let your own skills and experiences that you have made with the respective material flow into the decision-making process. For example, if you have had a lot of professional experience with steel processing, then you will see the work involved in a steel boat from a completely different perspective… In this sense, listen a little to your gut feeling.

And last but not least, as already mentioned above, it always depends on the specific boat and especially if you are on the second-hand market, you can certainly be a little more flexible with regard to the choice of material and look at the overall package. But we hope that we could help you understand what to expect from the different materials and assist you in making your decision.

If you have any other questions, need advice on your upcoming boat purchase, or want to give us feedback, feel free to post it in the comments, we’ll try to answer everyone!

Happy sailing!

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Boat construction and materials have come a long way since ancient mariners first hollowed out a fallen tree and floated downstream. Many of us remember the early builds from Hatteras — think back to the 1960 introduction of Knit Wits; at 41 feet in length, it is considered to be the first fiberglass production boat over 30 feet, and one that is still running to this day. But did you know that the use of composite materials dates back to antiquity?

In the Beginning

According to scholarly research, the earliest record of composite use is generally attributed to the ancient Mesopotamians around 3400 B.C. Using their own homegrown sticky stuff, they glued strips of wood placed at different angles to one another, and voilà : plywood was born.

The use of composites grew by leaps and bounds, and by around A.D. 1200, those rascally Mongols figured out that by using a combination of wood, bamboo, animal tendons and bones, all wrapped in silk and bonded together with pine resin, their bows were much more effective. So effective, in fact, that the weapon ruled their world in both hunting and warfare well into the 14th century, when firearms first appeared.

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In the next decade and onward — with the patent of carbon-fiber material for commercial use, technologically advanced resins and epoxies, new fabric weaves, better strength-to-weight ratios and the advent of Everett Pearson’s Seemann Composites Resin Infusion Molding Process (SCRIMP) system of vacuum bagging — other innovations have brought us right up to today’s high-tech, state-of-the-art construction methods, ones that have given us some of the most beautifully built and functional fishing machines known worldwide.

To get a handle on just how all this has affected high-level tournament-ready sport-fishing boats from the custom sector, I went right to the source with several well-known builders to get their input.

A Flair for Innovation

“We put a lot of engineering into our boats, and each one, from a 60-footer to a 90-footer, gets the same attention,” says Gary Davis, superintendent of new construction at the sprawling Jarrett Bay Boatworks facility in Beaufort, North Carolina. “You can’t just add more horsepower to make the boat go faster. The only way to skin that cat is to look for ways to improve the hydrodynamics and eliminate weight. Those are the challenges that new technology addresses.”

We put a lot of engineering into our boats, and each one, from a 60-footer to a 90-footer, gets the same attention.

The Jarrett Bay approach looks at the whole build to ensure all of the critical structural parts, as well as all of the boat’s systems, work in harmony in order to exceed expectations. “For example, with our 90-footer, the owner wanted the boat to be not just fast but as quiet as possible,” Davis says.

With the research done, they determined that while a full carbon-fiber package would yield the best speed, with the level of sound-dampening material needed to achieve the desired decibel levels, the weight savings would be eliminated, and the boat would actually be heavier. “We came up with a hybrid method for the hull skin, sides and transom by building them out of the relatively same lightweight material we have been using over the past 15 years — a cold-molded product made out of plywood and epoxy,” Davis notes. “The wood acts as a fairly good sound insulator too.”

After that, the similarities go away. For example, all the stringers, bulkheads, decks and everything from there on are foam-cored, with carbon-fiber-infused skins. “In the case of all the topside stuff, we’ve taken the E-glass out and replaced it with carbon fiber,” Davis says. “On the hull itself, we do have the E-glass laminate on the hull, inside and out, but after that, and with a few exceptions, everything else is a carbon-infused lamination.”

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As far as mounting those new high-horsepower engines, one of the headaches with carbon fiber is the absolute need to isolate it from metals to prevent galvanic corrosion. The main stringers where the engines sit have a higher-density foam core and an overlay of carbon fiber. Over that is a welded aluminum cap that is properly sized to accept the motor mounts. To isolate it all, a layer of E-glass was applied before the paint. And to make sure the through-bolts would not come in contact with the carbon fiber, a compression sleeve was inserted. “Everything you see mounted on that boat, and everywhere that particular material is used across the board, we use a compression or grip sleeve to make sure there is no chance of any contact with a screw, bolt or metal component to set up galvanic corrosion,” Davis says. “This does complicate the build, but we made it happen.”

With the blessings of technology and new materials come a host of ills that must be addressed. “With the new processes, we are always looking for weight-saving opportunities, and in the final analysis, it all adds up. To make it happen, everybody involved has to be in the same mindset,” he adds.

The Bayliss View

“We are big believers in the triple-ply Okoume hull, and I think, universally, everyone can agree that nothing compares to the sound-deadening capability, the ride and the performance of this hull,” says John Bayliss, whose boatbuilding facility in Wanchese, North Carolina, bears his name.

While the hulls at Bayliss Boatworks are glass inside and out, and use epoxy resin throughout the build, the construction process will vary with the building materials used. During wood construction, for example, a specific West System epoxy will be applied. “When we get to the cabin, superstructure, flybridge and console, we use Core-Cell foam that is glassed on both sides,” Bayliss notes. “We still use Philippine mahogany for the framework in the overhead of the cabin, which provides room for air ducts, wiring bundles, lighting and so on.”

Bayliss and I discussed the all-important notion of being weight-conscious throughout his builds. While that is essential in today’s horizon-chasing fishing boats, his personal stamp on every boat that leaves the facility also comes with a pedigree that pays special attention to the ride. “I believe there is such thing as getting too light and high-tech, where a solid glass or core boat tends to resonate the sound more. That’s why we stick with cold-molding and the wood hull,” he says.

Learn more about The Anatomy of a Modern Sport-Fisher .

To further weight savings, Bayliss has replaced his decking material with a very durable 3M honeycomb core, and all bulkheads are a combination of marine plywood and Core-Cell, glassed on both sides. “Our boats are really quiet, ride very well and fish like they are expected to,” he says. “As far as all these new materials are concerned, and while we’ve adopted some of them into our builds and construction process, like CNC [computer numerical control], in-house design and the use of carbon fiber in certain areas for stiffening, we like to think that we have the kind of consistency to keep doing things the way we’ve always done them.”

Spencer’s Take on Tech

“We’ve been on the forefront of new technology for some 18 years now, with resin infusion, composite construction, Core-Cell, Divinycell and incorporating carbon fiber,” says Paul Spencer, of the Wanchese, North Carolina-based Spencer Yachts . “And we’re always looking for new ways to make things lighter and stronger on our boats.”

We’ve been on the forefront of new technology for some 18 years now, with resin infusion, composite construction, Core-Cell, Divinycell and incorporating carbon fiber.

The formula of horsepower plus weight equals speed and performance is the well-accepted math for serious sport-fishing boats, and while Spencer and the other builders seek to push the limits of their builds, they all must keep something very important in mind: The boat must still withstand the rigors it will be put through at sea.

To that end, when Spencer first began with composite construction, the company engaged structural engineers to supply most of the data. In addition, with the all-important resin companies, the builder also consulted on which were the best formulas to use for resin infusion, given the higher temperatures. “We use post-curing for our builds, and will actually cook the whole hull, cabin and bridge in an autoclave oven in order to gain the full benefit of the product,” Spencer says. “When we cure at 200 to 250 degrees, the result is a harder, more stable outcome, without any of the post-cure issues like print-through. This way, we are able to take full advantage of these high-tech resins.”

When it comes to carbon fiber, Spencer notes a lot of good uses for the material. “In our bulkheads, for example, it’s great because it won’t be abused there,” he says. And while carbon fiber does have its drawbacks — the aforementioned need for isolation, for example — there are many other uses where strength and weight savings are needed. “We don’t do the hull, but with the bulkheads and decks where you would need, let’s say, 20 ounces of E-glass, it only takes 10 ounces of carbon fiber and half the amount of resin to saturate it,” he points out. “The weight savings can be significant.”

Spencer’s main focus is its continued use of composites in a jig-built boat —incorporating any new technologies that can strengthen its builds and make them lighter — after strenuous research and testing, of course. For this builder, it’s not any one thing but a series of innovations that result in the boats you see coming from their facility.

Willis Owns His Turf

Building with high-tech materials is where Mark Willis’ Stuart, Florida-based Willis Marine finds its comfort zone. “From the initial conversation with the customer, we know right from the start whether it’s going to be a high-tech build or something a bit more mainstream,” he says. “And it doesn’t matter whether it’s one of our custom flats boats or a complicated build like the 77-foot Uno Mas , we approach everything in the same way.”

In order to get things going, Willis and his team start with computer studies and a full CFD (computational fluid dynamics) analysis, which shows the characteristics of an object as it interacts with water. Along with weight studies, this allows Willis to develop an idea on paper of what the best build platform is, way before any construction begins.

Anybody who wants Willis Marine to build them a boat wants something that sets them apart from the others. I’m always looking for that particular challenge.

“While the design process remains the same, using materials like carbon fiber will affect the weight studies since they are significantly lighter than the traditional glass composite or wood structure,” Willis says. “When we go this way, tracking the weights during every phase of the build becomes an integral part of the plan.”

With a somewhat visionary approach, Willis is also taking a new slant when addressing the running gear on his boats. And while the technology has been around for some time, having roots in the military, the weight-adapted methodology considers the struts, shaft, props and rudders as one system — what Willis calls an engineered drivetrain. “They are analyzed through CFD to be as slippery as possible, given the weight of the water passing through and by them,” he says. “It’s this kind of stuff that is bringing the marine industry well into the 21st century.”

Willis and I discussed the approach he used for Uno Mas , working with an owner who came to them with a cutting-edge idea that would push the envelope right from the start. “We really worked on the styling for many months, using models and 3D computer programs, until everyone was happy with how it was going to look,” he says.

Willis is comfortable with his niche in the market and prefers to use high-tech materials in his builds. “For me, anybody who wants Willis Marine to build them a boat wants something that sets them apart from the others,” he says. “I’m always looking for that particular challenge.”

ACY and the Need for Speed

Dominick LaCombe likes to go fast, from his motorcycles and cars to the boats that slip down the ways at his American Custom Yachts facility in Stuart. “It’s all about the weight,” he points out. “Lighter means faster. We were building light, strong boats when the horsepower wasn’t there. When the engine horsepower started to get higher, our light, strong builds were already there performance-wise,” he says.

Back in the 1980s, LaCombe began using carbon fiber to reinforce the deck beams, as well as replacing the fiberglass fabric with Kevlar for added strength and reduced weight. “The Kevlar was really good for collision bulkheads,” he notes.

LaCombe’s take on working with carbon fiber echoes everyone else’s concern about the material: “Think about it as being a sheet of steel,” he says. “If you put a screw in it, you’re going to have to isolate those two metals.” And with that in mind, ACY makes absolutely sure that whenever carbon fiber is used, special attention is given to protection and isolation.

Being a custom builder, ACY uses limited production tooling molds for the house and flybridge; the former has Core-Cell foam beams in the overhead for the bridge deck. This is one of the places where they use vacuum-infused carbon fiber along with Pro-Set epoxies to prevent any print-through. “We own the whole infusion pump system and are able to make sure the resin-to-weight ratios are kept right where they belong,” he points out.

With technology delivering new resin chemistry, ACY has taken advantage of the advances by integrating the advanced formulas into its builds. Everything in the design and building process that technology has provided to make things a little bit lighter and more user-friendly, LaCombe says, has been incorporated into the boats that bear the ACY name.

Looking Ahead

As technology continues to advance, it will be interesting to see what comes down the line and how that will affect our industry and, in particular, the custom builders. There are radical designs already showing up, and new ideas about propulsion options and building materials that will see the next generation of boaters looking back at what came before, just as we do with the first fiberglass boats. Time will tell.

• More: Boat Building , Sport Fishing Boats

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Catamaran Construction – Hulls, Laminates, and Composites

• Post author By BJ Porter
• Post date October 15, 2020
• 4 Comments on Catamaran Construction – Hulls, Laminates, and Composites

It’s a given that catamarans are more sensitive to weight and loading than monohulls. Catamaran builders strive to build the lightest boats they can without sacrificing strength and stiffness, and have adapted new building techniques and materials to meet this target. Cutting weight allows more passengers and gear without sacrificing performance.

And the marketing materials reflect it–they load every review and website with polysyllabic technical jargon describing the design and production choices each builder made to deliver the best boat they can.

But when you’re reading a brochure and you come across phrases like “ hand laid bidirectional GRP ” or “ vacuumed bagged e-glass with vinylester resin over a Divinycell core ” do you know what that really means?

All modern production catamarans are made with “FRP” construction (for Fiber Reinforced Polymer). Composites aren’t new–it’s just using materials together to strengthen the whole assembly. Straw was added to bricks centuries ago, and steel reinforced concrete is a staple of construction over the last century. For boats, it’s the use of stranded fibers and cured resins which make FRP different.

The term “FRP” doesn’t get into the technical detail of which fibers and which plastics, and how they’re put together to build your hull. There’s a wide variety of fiber types which can be stranded, woven, chopped or sprayed in a varied of patterns then combined with several types of resins to make hulls with different characteristics.

Some FRP techniques produce lighter, stronger shapes, while others are quicker to build and less expensive to produce. The choice of technique is a function of many factors, from the number of hulls and parts to be built, the type of parts, the budget for the project, and many design specific requirements for weight and strength.

1. FRP Basics

The principle behind all FRP construction is the same – you lay our fibers in the shape you need, then saturate them with resin, removing all the air and voids you can. Resin is left to cure, then the piece is ready to finish and use.

The reality is more complex, since building a boat isn’t like making a flat board or a simple door. You’ve got a complex shape with a designed set of curves to build. “Tooling” is the set of shapes to make the boat parts; molds to cover with fiberglass to get the right shapes.

That’s what makes FRP so effective – you can make almost anything out of it. But to do so requires a lot of choices about what you need for the project at hand.

There isn’t a “best” all around material or technique choice for all jobs, and sometimes a lower cost technique or easier to work with material may be the better solution to the problem.

A. Fiber types

Fiber choices in the last few decades have expanded past the glass fibers used in the first mass produced boats in the 1960s. FRP construction wasn’t new even then, they built the first composite boats using modern fiberglass in the 1940s.

The major fibers used in marine construction fall into three categories – glass, aramids, and carbon. The primary differences are in the strength to weight ratios of the fibers, durability, elasticity, and cost. Some construction may use blends of fiber types to combine performance characteristics.

Glass – the most common material still, because of its low cost and versatility. The most common variety used in GRP (Glass Reinforced Polymer) is “E-glass” which refers to its strand size and mineral content. Other grades have different and sometimes better mechanical properties, but may be more expensive and less appropriate for boat building use. Fiber sizes run 10 to 25 microns for E-glass, though other grades may be smaller.

Brands like Leopard, Lagoon, and most higher production volume builders use E-glass.

Aramids – this includes brand names like Kevlar, Technora and Twaron. They have higher tensile strength than E-glass, and resistant abrasion and punctures. Kevlar is a common choice for bullet proof body armor, and can built a tough, lightweight hull. The materials can be difficult to work with, as it is very tough to cut the cloth. It is often blended with carbon fiber or other materials – Catana is known for using Twaron blends in hull construction.

Carbon – the ultimate in lightweight, strong construction material. Carbon fiber is the most expensive fiber, and is available in a variety of weights, grades and strengths. Fibers are smaller than glass – down to 5 Micron.

The lightest, most expensive hulls are made from carbon, but a catamaran builder may use carbon in places other than the hull to add strength and stiffness. Carbon boards, rudders, and reinforcing structures can enhance performance without driving the price of the boat beyond reach. Carbon is the fiber of choice for many custom builds, racing cats, and Gunboat.

B. Mats, Strands, Roving, Direction, and Weights

Fibers are woven into matting and cloth for construction. Depending on the application, different weights of cloth and cloth patterns and weaves may be more appropriate for the job.

Cloth weight refers to the weight per square yard (or meter) of the cloth. A square yard of nine ounce cloth weighs nine ounces. The heavier the cloth, the stronger it is in a laminate.

Fibers carry loads along their length, so cloth weaves have directionality to their strength. Most builders use several layers of cloth with different orientations to give good universal strength to hulls. Specific FRP applications with strict load-path requirements may have more unidirectional fiber layering – for example, a chainplate manufactured from carbon fiber may use unidirectional fiber.

Cloth – fiberglass cloth is commonly used on outer layers of composites. Cloth may have unidirectional or bidirectional strength. Bidirectional cloths have maximum load strengths in two perpendicular directions. Variations on weaves like a modified twill allow a more flexible cloth for better shaping around complex molds.

Mat – is omnidirectional strands of fiber compressed into a cloth. This is often held together with a resin soluble glue, which makes mat great at conforming to mold shapes without folding and bunching as it collapses when wetted. Because the strands do not align, fiber strength is the same in all directions.

Woven Roving – a heavier cloth made from larger bundles of strands. Woven roving allows for quicker buildup of material and strand weight.

Most FRP layups include multiple layers of different cloth and mat. Finished layers may be finer cloth over courser cloth, over woven roving and mat.

Three primary resins are in common use in marine construction – polyester , vinylester , and epoxy . All resins have materials safety concerns and require care in their use and handling.

Polyester is the least expensive and requires breathing protection because of the VOC emission (Volatile Organic Compounds…nasty, smelly fumes). It doesn’t have good bonding/gluing capability, and should only be used with glass fibers for structural building. Some polyester resins are referred to as “isophthalic” resins.

Vinylester is chemically similar to a hybrid of polyester and epoxy, and performs best with fiberglass. It shouldn’t be used in high strength applications with carbon or aramid fibers. It has some adhesive qualities which polyester lacks, it shrinks less during curing, and has better impact resistance.

The added strength of vinylester coupled with increased water resistance makes it an attractive option for many catamaran builders. It costs less than epoxy, but still has better performance than polyester.

Epoxy is the most expensive, but is three times the strength of the others. It offers the best adhesion and the only resin for building structural elements with carbon and aramid. It resists water intrusion better than the other resins, resists blisters, emits no VOCs, and shrinks less. The major drawback is it is more brittle if it takes an impact.

While epoxy is “the best” in terms of strength and ease of building, there are many applications where other resins are appropriate. Budget is a big driver – a boat made from E-Glass doesn’t need epoxy resin, and considerable cost savings to meet a construction price target may drive the choice.

They can build quality boats from all material combinations, but price and performance will drive materials choices to keep some boats more affordable.

2. Cored Construction

What’s the best way to make fiberglass strong? To a point, you can make it thicker. As it gets thicker, it gets heavier. A hollow shape can take more compressive load than a solid one of the same weight, and the same principle applies to fiberglass construction.

Consider an I-Beam used in building construction. It has the same strength (or more) as a solid rectangular beam of similar mass. The compressive load on the beam is supported by the outside edges of the material, the metal in the middle doesn’t contribute much to the strength. So we can remove metal to get the “I” shape while still keeping those sides rigid, making a lighter girder with less material.

The same principle applies to cored construction with fiberglass. Making a sandwich of two layers of fiberglass with a light core between them allows for the greater strength with weight savings.

There are drawbacks – the biggest risk is damage which breaks the skin, which can let water into the core. Earlier cored construction used materials prone to saturation and rot if they got wet. Some builders opt to do cored construction above the waterline and solid below to minimize some of these risks.

But the advantages in weight savings and increased stiffness offset the drawbacks, and there may be a few other side effects like sound and temperature insulation. Like resins and fibers, core materials offer distinct advantages, disadvantages and price points.

Most builders have adopted a hybrid approach, building solid hulls below the waterline, and cored hulls and decks above. This gives a balance of weight and safety.

A. Balsa Core

Balsa is light and inexpensive. The first cored construction used balsa, but it has the disadvantage of being wood. As a natural material, if it gets wet it can rot and break down. Builders use “end grain” balsa – shorter cross cut sections – to prevent wicking of water if there is an intrusion.

B. Foam Core

Closed cell foam cores give good strength to weight savings while minimizing water intrusion. If you get water in the core, it won’t spread very far. Divinycell is a popular PVC foam core, though there are several choices with different densities and compressive strengths.

Some foam cores are not suitable for heat treatment, but infused or vacuum bagged boats like the Outremer and PDQ do well with it.

C. Honeycomb

Honeycomb cores are often the most expensive, but also give some of the best strength to weight ratios. Honeycombed cells made from resin cured aramid papers are some of the best, but also among the most costly. They offer good stiffness, but can be hard to shape. Aluminum and other resin-infused papers are other core materials builders can choose from.

3. Construction and Resin

When building a hull, there are optimal ratios of fiber to resin saturation for target strength and weight. Too little resin and you may not have enough strength (or worse, voids and gaps), and too much, and you’re just adding weight without adding strength. Resins are also a significant material cost in building the boat, so over application not only increases weight but adds cost.

There are many ways to assemble the cores, fibers and resins to build a finished laminate hull – we’re addressing the most common in boat building. Each approach has strengths and limitations, and an impact on the bottom-line cost to build the boat. Any voids or air pockets in the laminate can be disastrous; these techniques have been developed to increase saturation and reduce the risk of voids.

A. Hand Layup / Open Molding

As the name implies, this is the application of resin by hand to cloth as it’s laid into a mold. Wetting is done with a brush, and the laminate is rolled out to remove any air pockets and voids. This is the simplest way to lay up fiberglass, but also the least precise and consistent and will use the most resin.

Skilled craftsmen have built some of the finest vessels in the world this way. Though it’s more popular with monohulls, which are less sensitive to weight, many catamarans built with hand layups on open molds are still out cruising and performing well.

B. Spraying

Using chopped-strand fiber mixed with resin, a “chopper gun” can spray the mixture into a mold to lay down the composite. A consistent thickness can be difficult, but this is a low cost construction technique which makes a very resin-rich laminate. Using sprayed fibers gives lower strength in all directions compared to meticulously laid down mat and bi-directional cloth. But it is a quick technique popular with mass produced, smaller boats.

It is an excellent technique for parts with complex geometry where weight is not an issue, but you will not see it often in catamaran construction. It’s heavy with resin without any resultant increase in strength.

C. Vacuum Bagging (Wet layup)

When an open molded component has been laid up and wetted with resin, vacuum bagging takes the process a step further. After the wetting is complete, air tight plastic bagging is secured around the wetted area, and the air is pumped out of the bag. The vacuum pulls excess resin out and collapses air pockets.

The goal is to get thorough wetting and produce as strong a laminate as possible without excess resin. Knysa and Leopard are two builders that use vacuum bagging on their hulls to reduce weight.

D. Resin Infusion

For resin infusion the cloth, matting and core is laid in place dry, then sealed in an air-tight bag. A vacuum pump attaches to one side of the bag, and on the other a feed for resin. The vacuum sucks the air out of the dry cloth stack, then pulls the resin through the stack, infusing and wetting it.

Resin infusion, when done right, gives the lightest, strongest laminates with no voids and the minimum resin weight for maximum strength. SCRIMP is a variant of the resin infusion process used by some builders, including TPI which build many early Lagoon cats.

E. Pre-preg

Using pre-preg (for “Pre Impregnated”) cloth for your laminating gets rid of the resin bucket. They manufacture cloth with a partially catalyzed resin pressed into it, then it’s chilled or frozen to stop the curing process. There is no need for seperately mixed resins, and there’s no worry your resin might “go off” and harden before you’re done wetting the cloth. Instead, the cloth is assembled, vacuumed, then heated to kick off the curing process.

There are both advantages and disadvantages to using pre-preg for your laminate work. The big disadvantage is the cost; it is most expensive material to use. You also need to chill and store the cloth until you need it, though some can be at room temperature for a couple of weeks without kicking off. And you need an oven which requires some clever tricks if you’re building a forty or fifty foot boat.

But the strength to weight ratio will always be perfect. High tech honeycomb cores are best suited to pre-preg lamination, and without racing against resin cure times, you can ensure perfect cloth placement and precise layout in the build process.

The primary use for pre-preg in boating is high performance race boats. With catamarans, pre-preg may be used high load parts, like Gunboat does for foils and rudders.

4. Industry Examples

Across the catamaran building industry you’ll find almost all the above techniques and materials used, though some are less common. You aren’t likely to find chopped strand sprayed layups in ocean going cats, and hand layups can lead to heavier hulls than weight sensitive catamaran designers prefer. Most manufacturers have moved to vacuum bagging or resin infusion, with a few of the highest end boats using pre-preg for key components.

Built by Robertson & Caine in South Africa, the hull material is vacuum bagged, end-grain balsa-cored E-glass with polyester.

Hand laid, bagged vinylester over an Airex foam core in the hulls.

Earlier Prout catamarans like the Snowgoose 34 featured hand laid solid FRP hulls and decks. Over time they switched to foam or balsa cores for decks and above the waterline.

Older PDQ boats were made from vacuum bagged vinylester – solid below the waterline and cored with CoreCell foam above the waterline and in decks. Newer PDQ models switched to epoxy resin.

All glass is vacuum bagged. Below the waterline is solid E-glass and vinylester. The rest is unidirectional, bidirectional, and triaxial cloths over a Nida-Core polypropylene honeycomb core with isophthalic and vinylester resins.

The Gemini cats are built with a solid hand layup of woven roving and fiberglass mat and polyester resin. Decks are cored with end grain balsa. The Gemini 3200 introduced vinylester resin into the layup to prevent blistering.

Older Lagoons were SCRIMP infused vinylester with and end grain balsa core above the waterline and in the decks.

Newer Lagoon catamarans use polyester and vinylester resins, also infused with balsa cores above the waterline and solid below.

With a carbon fiber inner skin, Catana also uses Twaron aramid fibers in the sandwiched hull over a foam core.

Fontaine Pajot

Primary hull construction is resin-infused vinylester with a balsa cored hull and deck.

Beneath the waterline, Outremer uses a single layer, solid vinylester laminate for safety. The hulls and deck are vinylester with a Divinycell foam core. They stiffen certain components with carbon for rigidity and durability.

Gunboat hulls are epoxy infused carbon fiber with a Nomex honeycomb core. They build dagger boards and other high load components with pre-preg carbon.

• Tags Buying Advice

By BJ Porter

Owner of Hallberg Rassy 53; world explorer.

4 replies on “Catamaran Construction – Hulls, Laminates, and Composites”

Excelent. Thank you for this I learned allot. Johan

Very straight forward information. Thankyou for doing this.

Damn…What an Amazingly Informative Article. *Cheers*

Outremer publish on their website that they use polyester. Not vinyl ester as you have stated.

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Boat Construction Comparison

• By Rick Strand
• Updated: September 11, 2013

Engineer and composites expert Rick Strand is president at Impact Matrix Systems, Hampstead, New Hampshire. He has worked for Boston Whaler, ITW Plexus and TPI Composites abd consulted for Baja, Sea Ray and others.

We take it that you know the basics, such as fiber provides the strength and resin provides the stiffness in a fiberglass laminate. And that composite is just a fancy term for a structure made from a combination of materials (hey, straw and clay bricks are “composite”). But can you sift through the rest of the jabber at a boat show?

The materials used to construct boats are varied in cost, application and how they perform. This primer is intended to help you sort the truth from the marketing mush and sales hype.

Fibers Most boat hulls are made using either knitted or woven fabric created from glass fibers. In some fabrics, the fibers crisscross at 0- and 90-degree orientations (0/90). Other axial configurations include plus and minus 45 degrees and either 0 degrees or 90 degrees. The directionality of the fibers enables the engineer to orient them in the direction of the stresses applied to the hull at any location. So, the use of “0” or “+/- 45-degree” fiber doesn’t make a boat better; it simply designates the application.

Woven fabrics require simpler machinery to produce and are hence less expensive than knitted fabric reinforcements. With knits, fibers are laid flat on a surface (by machine) and are knitted through with a lightweight and tenacious fiber to hold them together. The fibers in knitted fabric lie almost absolutely flat.

Woven fabrics’ fiber bundles run over and under each other creating a bulkier material. As a result, there are several things to consider about a boat using woven fabric. First, as the hull ages in the sun, it can develop “print-through.” This condition manifests itself by visibly transmitting the fiber so that the finish is no longer smooth but appears slightly distorted in a crisscross pattern. This occurs because the resins in the hull composite shrink after sitting in the hot sun. This condition is seen in darker-color hulls (green, blue and black) more often because they can reach temperatures of more than 200 degrees F in the direct summer sun. White hulls may get to only 160 F because they reflect more of the sun’s rays. In addition, the dark, shiny colors show the condition more than a light color does because of the way they reflect light. Knitted fibers lie flat, have lower shrinkage stresses and will not produce the print-through condition.

From a structural standpoint, builders that utilize knitted fabric as their primary reinforcement will make hulls, decks and parts that are stronger and stiffer (given proper engineering) than those built with woven-fabric composites. The parts will also be lighter. For the same reason that columns supporting buildings are straight and not wavy, knitted fibers more effectively line up in the direction of applied forces while woven fibers line up like springs. They have less strength and stiffness when they are “off-axis” to the forces. In addition, woven fibers have wells of empty space between the weave that need to be filled with resin to produce the composite. Knitted fabrics have less of this space. Therefore, woven fabrics require more resin to wet out in production. The result is heavier, more structurally inefficient composites.

Finally, woven fabrics will last a shorter period of time before the composites break down and will fatigue from repeated stress (pounding and slamming) on the out-of-plane fibers (springs) formed by the weave. At the end of the day, a boat utilizing knitted fabrics and an equivalent structural design would last longer and experience less cracking. This is particularly useful in deck composites and internal components having odd or transitional shapes.

Backup Materials From engines to cleats the problems that create the most headaches for owners are those associated with backing up hardware. There’s no reason to buy a new boat using plywood in the stringers or floor, as backups for cleats, in handrails, around hatches and, most of all, in the transom. In my many years of marine experience, I’ve learned that doing so will have you removing what little hair you may have left.

Plywood will get wet and rot. You will never be able to sink another new screw into it. Your transom will need to be replaced eventually and so will your stringers, toe rails, etc., etc. Don’t buy into it. Today, there are numerous alternative materials referred to as “boards” that are designed, engineered and produced for this purpose. If they get wet, they will not rot or lose properties. They will last longer and make your life easier as an owner. Many quality boats used plywood for many years because it was cheap, available and easy to cut and fit. Today, there is no excuse for it. Make sure a polymer backer board is used in your vessel. You will enjoy boating all the more for it. The risk of increased costs and lost time on the water associated with using plywood in a new fiberglass boat are far too high to buy one using them.

Resins The resin used to build your boat holds everything together. Polyester resins are popular, but polyester is a generic term covering a vast array of brands and types, differentiated in both name and performance by the type of acid used to make each one. Those acids are orthophthalic, isophthalic and terephthalic. Orthophthalic acid is used to produce general-purpose marine resins. Isophthalic acid is used to produce a more chemical-resistant and slightly stronger grade. Terephthalic acid is not common in boats.

You’ll also hear “DCPD modified resin” bandied about. Without getting overly complicated, DCPD (dicyclopentadiene) is a big molecule. Within a polyester resin chain is the ester linkage — like a repeating linkage in a long chain. This linkage is a chemical bond that can be attacked by water over the long term. Eventually water can break this bond, starting a long-term degradation process that can lead to blistering or even your bottom cracking open. DCPD shields against water, rendering the ester linkage more stable in a wet environment. It also reduces the cost of the resin. Its downfall is its brittleness. It can reduce the crack resistance of your boat.

Also in this category are the vinylester resins. They are more expensive but do not have the ester linkage. Instead, they have an ether linkage, a more moisture-stable connector in the molecule. These resins have great chemical and moisture resistance. They are also much tougher and more flexible than the others. This means that design stress levels can be higher in the composites. This equates to a lighter, more durable boat that can take a beating and keep on ticking without cracking or breaking. Vinylesters are what gave us a revolution back in the early ’80s, when builders could begin to produce hulls that would not blister. Blistering, as you recall, is an indirect result of the ester linkages breaking in the presence of water. Therefore, vinylester resins are the resin of choice for the seeker of a trouble-free experience. You should make sure that your boat is produced with them if the boatbuilder works with polyester resins.

Epoxies are in a similar realm to vinylesters when it comes to performance in a marine composite, though you won’t find many production boats using it. It’s more fickle to use and more sensitive to heat, and some workers are allergic to it. However, if a custom boat is what you seek, it’s a fine alternative. And improvements in chemistry have helped overcome its manufacturing problems.

Generally, the higher-tech and lighter the construction, the more likely you are to find an epoxy choice in resin systems. Vinylester resin is the more likely to be used in a modern marine composite associated with a quality production-boat builder.

The most important consideration concerning all of the materials discussed is the quality of competence of the builders. This has been the biggest ball and chain ever dragged by the industry. Builders who do not have a quality manual probably don’t have a program, and if they don’t have a program (and I mean a good one), you will not have a trouble-free experience. Take it from someone who has done many a quality audit: It does not matter how good the materials are that you are buying. If you do not use them correctly and make sure that is the case every day, you cannot build a trouble-free boat. I do mean trouble-free for years. These days, the industry leaders are doing pretty well here. Many others still are not. The structural “guts” aspects of today’s boats are fairly good and well understood. All the other systems on a boat will need to be dealt with next. When that happens, your boat will be a lot like your car. It will be predictable, reliable and somewhat trouble-free.

Beyond Glass Fiber Carbon fibers and aramid fibers are lighter than glass fibers and, in many configurations, stiffer and stronger too. But they don’t come cheap. Today, glass fiber may cost between $1.50 and $2.50 per pound, while carbon fibers may run in the pricier $18 to $26 per pound range.

Carbon has found strong application in boatbuilding, where aramid (such as Kevlar by DuPont) has been largely withdrawn from the marine market. This is partially because aramid fiber does not adhere well to most resins. Also, it has great tensile strength in the direction of the fiber, but it suffers when loaded off-axis at most angles to the fiber, as well as in compression.

A new technology about to make it to market could drastically improve these problems. This newer technology bonds fibers into a flat configuration that maximizes strength as well as the amount of fiber per unit thickness (in other words, heavier amounts of fiber in a thinner product). This allows lower resin use and lighter-weight construction. For the boat buyer, this can mean a faster and/or more fuel-efficient boat.

Learn More About Cored Composite Boat Structures

Talk about an area of contention over the years…core materials are it. Cores, including foams and balsa wood, are good materials. It is the way they are installed that can make them an owner’s nightmare. Today, improvements in closed molding techniques, like resin infusion, have bettered the quality of core installation. In the hand-laid days, a good installation was like pinning the tail on the donkey. Builders were blindfolded because they couldn’t see the “downside” of the core. The vacuum infusion process has improved core installations, performance and longevity. Both balsa and foam cores can be well produced and last for years. In terms of performance, a cored or sandwich composite is better than a solid composite with respect to strength-to-weight ratio. Cored composites yield lighter, faster and more fuel-efficient boats.

Do not be afraid of buying a new boat made with core materials, but do your homework in selecting your brand and what is behind it. And, FYI, most of those windmill blades you see spinning on the distant peaks are built using vacuum infusion with cored composites.

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The Grand Soleil 48 is born from the cooperation between the prestigious Nauta Yacht Design team, the naval architect Marco Lostuzzi and Cantiere del Pardo’s Technical Dept. Their expertise resulted in an important Made-in-Italy project: ...

cruising sailboat ClubSwan 50

Overall length : 16.74 m Width : 4.2 m Draft : 3.5 m

... fin, is just over 2’000 Kg. The keel fin itself only being 160 Kg and built mostly of high modulus carbon fiber. The structural criteria for the carbon fin was specifically focused on eliminating flutter ...

cruising sailboat nano37

Overall length : 12 m Width : 2.6 m Draft : 2.6 m

... Downwind she is a rocket as well, capable of sustaining 20 knots with a big Code sail or gennaker. And her lightweight carbon build means that she performs well under sail even in light airs. So you will only need ...

racing sailboat AC40

Overall length : 11.8 m Width : 3.38 m Draft : 3.5 m

Presenting the AC40, a scaled AC75 foiling day-racer designed by Emirates Team New Zealand and built by McConaghy. A one-design class that brings America's Cup foiling performance to a competitive racing circuit. With self-tacking ...

fast cruising sailboat Se 37 Lounge

Overall length : 11 m Width : 3.45 m Sail area : 76 m²

The Saffier SE 37 Lounge. A yacht that does not meet a standard, but a yacht that sets a standard: the standard of the Saffier SE 37 Lounge. A unique concept without compromise. Why choose when you don’t have to. Meet the new standard A ...

sport keelboat sailboat F15

Overall length : 6.1 m Width : 1.52 m Sail area : 14 m²

... we built another new mould and now offer a choice of non-slip on the foredeck. Most sailors choose to upgrade to having a carbon hull which makes the boat stiffer for longer. Boats are supplied as finished hulls with ...

catamaran YOUNG 57

Overall length : 17 m

The Young 57 “Earthling” was Greg Young’s first catamaran design and was built as a project for Mr. John McGettigen (owner of Bull 9000 Matador) and the final result reflects this one off approach, in that this catamaran is very unique ...

day-sailer 750

Overall length : 7.5 m Width : 2.05 m Draft : 1.7 m

... no backstay and the gennaker is dropped using a dropline. The hull and deck are made as a carbon sandwich using the infusion process. The mast is also carbon and the modern sail plan includes a self-tacking ...

classic sailboat M29x

Overall length : 8.9 m

... go-fast features like a tall carbon fiber rig from Hall Spars and high-performance 3Di sails from North Sails. A deep high aspect ratio fin keel to provide rock-solid stability and enhanced sail carrying ability. A carbon ...

catamaran ORC42

Overall length : 13.05 m Width : 7.4 m Draft : 1.5, 2.3 m

... access to the hulls is watertight. Security to thefts with the textile entry door. The rig is very simple: no spreaders ( carbon version), lower shrouds and staysail with short and stiff luff, which makes it more ...

cruising sailboat Flaar 24

Overall length : 7.23 m Width : 2.5 m Draft : 0.6, 1.8 m

... motorisation is a great help: it can be fitted with a built-in electric motor or an outboard motor. Outstanding performance Carbon composite hull and mast Low drag body shape Modern, highly variable sails Diamond ...

sport keelboat sailboat ELF-620

Overall length : 6.2 m Width : 2.5 m Draft : 0.36, 1.5 m

... telescopic carbon boom. ELF-620 is designed for full vacuum infusion production technology (polyester resin & Divinycell core) for price level under 15 k€ in basic complectation. But also can be made as clean racer from ...

catamaran SL 33

Overall length : 12.6 m

... baot more stabil and faster Already the standard SL 33 won many big races Structurally extremely well developed Top rigged carbon Code Zero could be sailed up wind and downwind - this makes the SL 33 fast in all wind conditions

catamaran TORO 34R

Overall length : 10.4 m

... Catamaran is in the final stages of releasing the TORO34R, equipped with foils, a 6.1m (20’) beam and a 15.9m (52’) mast. This all carbon version will exceed all the performances characteristics of the original model. ...

foiling sailboat

Overall length : 4.2 m Width : 2.4 m Sail area : 11 m²

AWARD WINNING BOAT THAT’S TWICE THE FUN Airborne foiling or sailing with a daggerboard. Foiling is a sport that is here to stay. Foiling has been around for years but until now it helped to be an expert sailor and not too large if ...

trimaran F-22

Overall length : 7 m

The F-22 is a new design that has been developed in New Zealand by Farrier Marine (NZ) Ltd. The production F-22 is now available and is being built in the United States. The F-22 was initially available in plan form for those who wished ...

fast cruising sailboat Code #

Overall length : 21'00" Width : 8'04" Draft : 2'07", 7'02"

... elegance with her dog-house roof, wooden deck and clean lines, the Code # is a Black Pepper in essence! Built entirely in carbon , like all Codes, she benefits from the latest developments in naval architecture and construction ...

catamaran Class 4

Overall length : 46'00" Width : 25'00" Draft : 43 in

Sailing on Class 4 is above all , to get the spirit of cruising back again. Pleasure to go from bay to bay faster than wind with light conditions (7kts speed with 5kts real wind) or make long passages, in safety with amazing performances ...

racing sailboat P30

Overall length : 9.14 m Width : 2.91 m Draft : 0.5, 2.3 m

... single and double hand sailing and works in a wide range of offshore conditions up to category A. This boat is not only a fast carbon boat, but also a concept for short handed sailing at low costs. Easy transport, launching, ...

catamaran LH 37 Sport

Overall length : 11.1 m Width : 5.5 m Draft : 0.85 m

... and safe An unsinkable nutshell The LH 37 Sport is completely laminated in Kevlar and Vinylester resin reinforced with carbon fibre. These materials make it sturdy and rigid, greatly increasing its performance under ...

racing sailboat X-TREME 37

Overall length : 11.3 m

The X-Treme 37, also known as the carbon beast! Amongst the first production yachts of its kind, the X-Treme 37 is an extraordinary performer designed by the award-winning Yacht Designers Reichel/Pugh and built using ...

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T50 CARBON FIBER Radio Controlled Racing Sloop

With its lightweight carbon fiber hull and beautiful varnished deck, the Carbon Fiber T50 is the perfect fusion of modern sailing performance coupled with the timeless appearance of wood.The T50 Carbon Fiber Racing Sloop combines the latest in lightweight strength of carbon fiber with a classic design that is as fast as it is beautiful. At 50 inches long and over six feet tall, the T50 Carbon Fiber is the ultimate in RC sailing. The black carbon fiber hull is complemented by a beautiful okume mahogany deck that stretches unbroken from the bow to the stern and adds elegance and sophistication to make the T50 Carbon Fiber Racing Sloop an outstanding boat both in the water and on display.  

Unlike the T50 Racing Sloop, which has a cedar-strip planked deck, the T50 Carbon Fiber Racing Sloop arrives with a pre-formed Carbon Fiber hull. The Carbon Fiber hull is a great option if creating a planking hull does not appeal to you. However, if the project of planking a hull, which is actually quite easy and fun appeals to you, the T50 Racing Sloop may be a better boat for you.

While the assembly of the T50 Carbon Fiber Racing Sloop is more involved than the process for the T27 and T37 Racing Sloops, the T50 Carbon Fiber Racing Sloop kit’s detailed instructions guide the builder through the entire process smoothly and easily. No detail is left out!

The T50 Carbon Fiber Racing Sloop Kit comes with everything you will need to build the boat, including the marine epoxy and all of the RC gear  (except for batteries)  for sailing the boat. In fact, all you need is paint or varnish and AA batteries. The kit includes:

• A pre-formed, lightweight, and strong Carbon Fiber hull
• Pre-cut Okume mahogany three-ply deck and mahogany transom
• High-quality brass and stainless steel hardware
• Stainless steel rigging wire and Spectra rigging lines
• Carbon fiber mast and booms
• 3/4 oz. nylon spinnaker cloth pre-sewn sails: includes three jibs for light, medium, and heavy air conditions (the kit may also be purchased with a set of mylar sails as another option)
• Marine-grade epoxy, including epoxy brushes, gloves, and syringes
• Full Radio Control gear, including the transmitter, receiver, battery box, and sail and rudder servos (including the strong 785 drum winch servo)
• Detailed instructions to guide you through the entire building process
•  … and more!

The T50 includes a mainsail plus three different jib sails so that you can choose your rig to suit the day’s wind. The largest sail area is 1200 square inches and the smallest is 625 square inches. The Hi-tec drum winch RC servo also included has enough servo power to haul in any of the sails in any wind. There is an option to substitute mylar sails (shown in the sailing pictures) in place of the standard nylon spinnaker cloth sails for an additional cost.

Please call 1-360-966-7245 or email [email protected] to inquire about the availability and cost of finished boats.  The finished boat comes fully completed and ready to sail. 

T50 CARBON FIBER Accessories : Follow each link for more detailed information and to purchase each accessory. 

      Lakeside Stand                                  Wall Stand                                        

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Carbon fiber/epoxy in production boats

Scout Boats and now Hinckley Yachts showcase how demand for lighter, faster performance pushes materials and process change.

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Plant tour: Teijin Carbon America Inc., Greenwood, S.C., U.S.

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I’ve reported on carbon fiber use in the marine industry for over a decade now. It’s one of those trends that is always “imminent”. However, when you look at new product announcements over the past few years, a trend does seem to be emerging.

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All of these production boats use carbon fiber and resin infusion . The Scout and Hinckley models also use epoxy resin . Carbon fiber has made its way into production boats in the past, for example in Baja’s 30-ft Outlaw . But then the recession hit, and the marine market dropped by 80%.

As the marine market has rebounded, trends like black hulls (e.g., Midnight Express ) and faster center console fishing boats have helped to push infusion and carbon fiber into production boats.

Scout Boats (Summerville, SC, US) announced its 420 LXF in 2015 and broke ground last November on an $11 million, 120,000-ft 2 expansion next to its current site, which will house its newest, 53-ft center console — the 530 LXF. Though production is slated for this June, the 530 LXF is already sold out through the end of 2019.

Scout Boats owner, found and president Steve Potts has said he can "count on one hand" the number of other manufacturers in the world, including Boeing , who build composite products utilizing the same methodology: infusion with carbon fiber and epoxy. He added that this is state-of-the-art manufacturing and results in lighter, stronger and more fuel-efficient products — obviously performance that buyers are willing to pay for (a Scout 420 LXF starts at $750,000 and a 530 LXF is said to cost around $2 million).

Hinckley’s new Sou’wester 53 uses carbon fiber/epoxy construction. SOURCE: Hinckley.

After launching the new Sou’wester 53 carbon fiber/epoxy sailing yacht on March 16, Hinckley (Southwest Harbor, ME, US) now unveils its new performance brand and two new high-performance models, the 40-ft Sport Boat and Sport Boat Center Cabin — both touted as offering speeds over 60 mph thanks to lightweight carbon fiber/epoxy construction . The first Sport Boat will launch July 2018.

“This is one of our most important product introductions in years”, said Hinckley chief marketing officer Pete Saladino. “For nearly 25 years , we have been vacuum-infusing resin into layers of carbon fiber and KEVLAR [aramid fiber] spanning the full length of our yachts. We are now bringing our design refinement and unparalleled level of boatbuilding expertise to performance boats”.

Epoxy resin infusion is also key in the Sout’wester 53, used to securely bond its carbon and KEVLAR hull to the structural grid .

So what next? Maybe infused boats using a recyclable epoxy (like Connora , with sister company Entropy now part of Gougeon Brothers) and also boats using recycled carbon fiber . Then we will be seeing not only improved performance, but improved sustainability as well.

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Carbon Craze in Fishing-Boat Industry

• By Jim Hendricks
• Updated: January 10, 2017

When someone mentions carbon fiber, you might think of a helm panel with that popular faux-fiber pattern. Yet genuine carbon-fiber construction has only recently begun to permeate the marine industry. It’s currently used by a limited number of marine manufacturers but will increasingly weave its way aboard our fishing boats.

Perfected in the ­aerospace industry, sophisticated carbon-fiber construction has replaced many traditional aluminum structures in new commercial aircraft. Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, for example, uses carbon-fiber ­construction for half of its airframe to save weight while maintaining strength and stiffness.

The same techniques have been adopted by boat brands such as Barker Boats, Hell’s Bay, Maverick Boats and Yellowfin Yachts.

Carbon fiber cuts 20 to 24 percent of the overall boat weight versus fiberglass, says Wylie Nagler, president of Yellowfin Yachts, which has offered carbon-fiber ­construction in its boats ranging from 17 to 42 feet since 2015. Boats using construction are lighter because they require less material and resin, owing to the carbon fiber’s greater strength and stiffness.

“The lighter the boat, the more efficient it becomes,” says Nagler. Top speeds also increase. “We have found 6 to 7 mph increases in our bigger boats,” he reveals.

In addition, lighter boats tend to float higher, and that makes carbon-fiber applications ideal for flats boats, says Charlie Johnson, director of marketing for Maverick Boat Group (MBG). The Maverick line includes three Mirage flats models: the Maverick 17 HPX-S , Maverick 17 HPX-V and Maverick 18 HPX-V .

“Maverick’s flats boats use a combination of carbon fiber, Kevlar and Carbon-Kevlar fiber in a proprietary resin-infusion system known as VARIS,” Johnson explains. This results in boats that weigh about 25 percent less than comparable ­fiberglass flats models. “As a result, Maverick boats draw less water and are easier to ­push-pole,” Johnson says.

Stiffness Factor

Carbon fiber’s stiffness has led companies such as Rupp Marine and Taco Marine to use it for outrigger poles. “The stiffness of carbon-fiber poles eliminates the whipping action common to aluminum or fiberglass poles while trolling in rough seas,” says Jose Chao, strategic product category manager for Taco. This helps keep baits and lures from being unnaturally flung out of the water while trolling.

You’ll see increasing use of carbon-fiber construction in accessories in the next few years, Chao says. The stiffness and light weight of carbon fiber will supplant aluminum and even stainless steel in marine in parts such as seat pedestals. “The more weight you can take out of a boat without sacrificing strength, the more fuel efficient it becomes,” he points out.

While some brands offer entire boats built from high-tech fibers, others feature such construction only where extra stiffness is required. In MBG’s Cobia and Pathfinder lines, for example, carbon fiber is used to reinforce the foam-filled prisma beams supporting the decks in these boats, Johnson points out.

Shifting Weight

Building a carbon-fiber boat is not as simple as swapping out fiberglass with the high-tech fibers. Lamination schedules, resins and infusion techniques differ significantly, says Nagler. “Epoxy resins, for instance, are often used with carbon-fiber construction. But gelcoat won’t stick to epoxy,” he says. So a boat built with epoxy has to be painted.

Changing the overall weight of the boat also calls for re-evaluating the ­center of gravity (COG). Because the weight of the outboard engines doesn’t change, a carbon-fiber version tends to be more stern heavy and will ride bow high unless the COG is shifted forward for balance. Relocating elements such as the fuel, water and waste tanks effectively moves the COG.

One school of thought holds that heavier boats ride more smoothly because the heft tends to more easily slice through waves and cushion the jolts of rough seas. Yet Nagler points out that there are a number of factors that determine how smoothly a boat rides.

“The stiffness of a carbon-fiber boat is better at punching through waves,” he explains. “Plus, because the boat is lighter, it rides higher and can better get on top of the waves while underway to smooth the ride.”

UV Protection

Shielding carbon-fiber components from the damaging rays of the sun is particularly important, says Chao. Boats feature gelcoat or marine paint for UV protection, but carbon-fiber outriggers traditionally have been left uncoated. As a result, the fibers turn a cigarette-ash gray after a year or two of constant sun exposure.

To combat such degradation, make sure the carbon-fiber poles you buy feature a barrier coating. Taco’s carbon-fiber Tele-Outriggers, for instance, are sprayed with multiple applications of Awlgrip marine clear coat. “This provides long-term protection and keeps the poles looking good,” Chao says.

At the same time, proper care and maintenance is essential. This includes washing the poles with soap and water after every use to clean away damaging salt residue. Lubricating the contact points of telescoping poles with light oil helps keep salt from making its way inside the tubes and damaging the outrigger from within. If you don’t plan to use your outriggers for a long period of time, remove and store them indoors.

Electrifying News

Unlike fiberglass, carbon fibers conduct electricity. That poses a challenge for boatbuilders using this material because a boat essentially becomes one big conductor. “You have to be very conscientious about electrical grounding issues and where and how you run wires,” says Nagler. “We have learned how to do it properly.”

To minimize electrical issues, Yellowfin uses only fiberglass construction for its center consoles, where many of the boat’s electrical elements are housed.

The conductivity of carbon-fiber outrigger poles is also important to keep in mind when you are caught in a thunderstorm. Retract the poles as quickly as possible in such conditions.

Ultimately, cost represents the ­biggest impediment to the widespread application of carbon-fiber ­technology in boats. “It adds considerably to the cost,” says Johnson. Raw materials are five to six times more expensive than conventional materials, he reveals. That results in a 25 percent increase in the price of an MBG carbon-fiber boat.

Nagler calculates the cost increase another way. “Carbon-fiber construction adds about $1,000 per linear foot to the cost of the boat,” he says.

These kinds of increases extend into the marine-accessory market, where carbon-fiber components cost more than three times as much as aluminum pieces, says Chao. A pair of Taco 15-foot aluminum Tele-Outrigger poles retails for about $500, while a pair of Taco 16-foot carbon-fiber Tele-Outrigger poles sells for about $1,700.

Will prices come down in the ensuing years? Time will tell. In the meantime, if you want a boat that floats higher, runs faster and fishes farther, or stiffer outriggers that refuse to whip, you’ll have to pony up to satisfy your carbon craze.

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Electric boats

Electric hydrofoil, vessev officially unveils its vs–9 hydrofoil boat inside and out [video].

Just over three months after coming out of stealth mode, young electric hydrofoil boat builder Vessev has shared a closer look at its flagship vessel – the VS–9. Today, the boatbuilder shared fresh images of a completed VS–9 vessel and a detailed video below.

Vessev, formerly known as Seachange, is a young, eco-friendly boat builder founded a few years ago in Auckland, New Zealand. That is where the company currently operates and is conducting sea trials of its flagship vessel, an electric hydrofoil boat called the VS–9 .

Designed for commercial operations and tourism, this electric hydrofoil “flies” above the water, offering a quieter and more efficient option in sea travel that will soon be used as a passenger ferry thanks to NetZero Maritime – the green technology team at Fullers360 – New Zealand’s largest ferry operator, who has already signed on to help commercialize the hydrofoil technology.

Vessev may be young, but it is making (smaller) waves above the water with its hydrofoil boat technology, which is finalizing commercial certification.

Vessev showcases first electric hydrofoil boat build

Today, Vessev publicly shared images and footage of its first completed VS–9 electric hydrofoil boat build. Our previous coverage of the vessel included photos of the boat tub only; the one interior shot we had was a rendering.

The images seen above are a genuine look at what the VS–9 will look like when it begins transporting passengers in New Zealand as soon as certification is complete. Per the company, the flagship electric hydrofoil boat has entered the last phase of sea trails before commercial operations begin with Fullers360.

Vessev explained that the VS–9 is stabilized by foiling technology below the waterline using technology derived from the America’s Cup. Those foils enable the boat’s carbon fiber hull to rise 50 cm above the water, clear of waves and wake.

The result is a vessel that is smoother and quieter while still offering plenty of space for passengers. Per Vessev CEO Eric Laakmann:

Traditionally, larger vessels are required to deliver a comfortable passenger experience as they can handle the impact of waves and wake. By flying above the waves, the VS–9 delivers a large vessel experience on an agile platform that can be berthed and charged in nearly any marina. One way of looking at the impact of this vessel is that our waterways today are like roadways, where the only comfortable mode of transportation are very large multi-passenger buses – i.e. ferries. These large vessels are here to stay, but they will be augmented with point-to-point services delivered by vessels such as the VS–9. It’s like introducing a limo into a world of buses. Through enhanced comfort and reduced operating costs, the VS–9 platform delivers an entirely new transportation experience that hasn’t truly been viable until today.

Today’s fresh images also give us our first look at the electric hydrofoil boat’s interior, which Vessev says was inspired by private jet travel and premium automotive brands like Rivian . It features quality materials and ergonomic seats and armrests to offer passengers added comfort while they enjoy the views from the panoramic windows. Laaakmann again spoke:

In designing the VS–9 transportation configuration, we knew that we wanted to create something that highlights the unique advantages of this technology. She includes stylish seating for 10 where easy conversation can flow between guests while quietly gliding to their destination. The full standing height cabin also includes wraparound glass with panoramic views of the environment around them. Our goal was to make sure the passengers of the VS–9 are connecting with only two things – those on the journey with them as well as their surroundings. We’ve accomplished exactly that.

With ten passengers aboard, the VS-9 can reach a cruising speed of 25 knots (~29 mph) and has a range of 50 nautical miles (57 miles/92.6km). It can recharge its batteries at any marina plug, but that area has a DC fast charger; the VS–9 can recoup 0.8 nautical miles of range per minute.

Vessev hopes it can open up new opportunities for sustainable marine travel in the transport and tourism industries. Looking ahead, the company is already working on a larger vessel called the VS-18 that can transport up to 100 passengers. While we await the arrival of both electric hydrofoil boats, here’s an up-close look at the VS–9, posted by Vessev today:

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Scooter Doll is a writer, designer and tech enthusiast born in Chicago and based on the West Coast. When he’s not offering the latest tech how tos or insights, he’s probably watching Chicago sports. Please send any tips or suggestions, or dog photos to him at [email protected]

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Titan Submersible Hearings: What was the Titan made of?

by Katy Solt

CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCIV) — A deadly implosion under the sea in 2023 drew media attention from across the globe.

News 4's series on the Titan submersible explores how and why the Titan Submersible imploded in 2023, as well as the moments leading up to the deaths of five people trapped inside.

News 4 spoke to an independent expert about how the Titan was made and how Mother Nature played a role.

Jack DiTullio, the director of the Grice Marine Laboratory in Charleston, has spent the past year researching the Titan Submersible since the deadly implosion in 2023.

"It was very different than a typical submersible," he said.

DiTullio said the biggest difference is what the Titan was made from.

READ MORE | "Titan Submersible Hearings: Triton Submarine CEO describes magic under the sea"

"Deep sea diving submersibles are typically made with a titanium hull that can withstand pressures," DiTullio explained. "OceanGate kind of went around that and they built their hull of their vessel with a carbon fiber-based product. I believe they had what they called a titanium cap on one end of it, but the carbon fiber was highly controversial."

DiTullio also said some of the strict regulatory tests and certifications were bypassed by OceanGate.

"When they asked the CEO Stockton Rush, who was the pilot as it turns out of the vessel, he was also CEO of Ocean Gate. He said that the certification process was too slow compared to this pace of innovation that's going on in his field. That was the reason why they thought they could get around this."

He said there's a reason submersibles are made with titanium. It's so they last as they make multiple dives to the deep.

"From my understanding, titanium will last high pressures for long periods of time without becoming weaker, whereas carbon fiber may initially be able to withstand really high pressure, but over long periods of time can be, can be weakened," he said. "This Titan vessel I read had made 91 dives, 11 of which were down to the depth of the Titanic. So, down at 4,000 meters. When a carbon fiber hull is exposed to those pressures when it might become brittle and just give way, which is apparently what happened."

So how much pressure was potentially weighing on the Titan?

READ MORE | "Titan Submersible Hearings: The History of Deep Sea Diving"

"You can calculate that down at about 12,500 feet there's about 875,000 pounds of pressure per square foot of surface area. Obviously when that hull gave way, you know, I would imagine it was just an instantaneous implosion."

As technology and science evolves, so does the design of submersibles.

"Triton Submarines even hopes to make a new submarine, this what they call a glass bubble that's gonna have 16-inch-thick acrylic it's basically like plexiglass 16-inch-thick walls to withstand the pressure," DiTullio said. "They're gonna have this bubble that will allow people that go down to the Titanic to kind of have like a panoramic view."

The hearings start Sept, 16 in North Charleston. News 4 will be there and will stream the hearings on our website.

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