Fibreglass boats - how do we recycle them?
by Peter Rendle 18 Apr 2019 22:00 BST
Instead of going to a landfill, these small particles made from deconstructed, ground-up fiberglass boats will soon be recycled to make concrete for construction projects © Ayla Fox
I remember the first fiberglass hull being made in the UK came from a local manufacturer, Halmatic, in the 1960s. It was rightfully predicted at the time that FRP (fibre reinforced plastic) would revolutionise the boat building industry and that's exactly what happened.
Since then thousands of boats have been produced using various techniques but basically combining fiberglass matting with resin, laminated in a mold, cured, then combined with molded deck, hull and interior section to mass produce the end product. The rest of the story is history and the massive number of marinas and moorings worldwide is testament to the success of the process.
However nearly sixty years later there is a vast number of boats that for a number of reasons are now surplus to requirements. What happens next? Our article in this week's Marine Power Boat news is one solution that they have devised in the USA.
Nevertheless, new boats continue to be produced and Australian owned builder Grand Banks Yachts Limited is excited to share more information about the latest model in its line-up, the Grand Banks 54. The new GB54, which had been called the Grand Banks 52 in previous communications, follows the successful launches of the Grand Banks 60 and the GB60 Skylounge, and will advance the builder's strategy to create yachts with strong, lightweight hulls that offer efficient operation and are finished with comfortable interiors that welcome cruisers aboard.
Another addition to the Australian and New Zealand market is the Galeon range. Alexander Marine Australia is about to debut the Galeon Yachts range including two exemplary models the 460 Fly and the 510 Skydeck. European-made and "tricked out" with award-winning design features and engineering, Galeon Yachts represent a new level of ingenious innovation with features such as unique "beach mode" fold out aft side balconies, large sliding doors and abundant glazing.
We mentioned the start of the boat show season is upon us and the annual Sail Expo at Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club will run over the weekend of the 27-28 April. The team from J/Boats Australia (Yachtspot) will be displaying the J/121, J/112E and J/70 at the Expo and close by, they will have access to a J/97E and J/88 on another arm of the marina. The Expo is the debut showing for the 40ft J/121. The J/121 was designed to sail with less crew and features water ballast and simple sail handling systems within an efficient sleek hull shape with high stability to enable this.
And globally industry news is bright with Yanmar announcing a four-year period of sustained growth in turnover for its recreational marine business following the implementation of a new strategy to transform the company's global presence and leadership in the sector. Significant cultural change and investment initiated by Yanmar Marine International (YMI) in 2015 is paying dividends in the market with positive sales figures and increased brand recognition backed by further acquisition plans in the pipeline to expand its system package.
Aveagooden,
Peter Rendle
peter.rendle@marinebusinessworld.com