PRESERVING HULL INTEGRITY IN POLYETHYLENE HULLS

Polyethylene is a remarkable material in that it has positive buoyancy, a degree of flex and impact damage resistance not found in fibreglass hulls. Due to the roto-moulding process, where polyethylene beads or powder heated to around 150 degrees in a steel mould literally flow into the bull shape required, solid colour throughout the hull is possible. My first experience of a polyethylene hull was a Nylex Pioneer 8 dinghy I borrowed in 1987 as a tender to my 6.7m plywood Bluebird yacht. The hull had sufficient flex not to damage the painted topsides and, cleverly, Nylex had moulded in a bottom channel section that gave the hull good directional control when rowing, and also provided a strengthening point for the internal liner. But the main issue was the weight,…

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Trade-A-Boat (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue 554

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