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HDPE Canal boat


shaun15124

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Hello everyone,

 

I have recently been involved in making a hdpe canal boat 

 

And after further investigation, we saw nobody had ever made a canal boat of HDPE, 

So we had a thought

 

why not? can it be done? and can we, do it? 

 

so, after speaking with a professional boat builder (we have actually based our design on an old canal boat called the gypsy lady )

we got to work with the entire process the size is 40ft x 12ft 

 

We also found out that HDPE is what is used for a lot of lifeboat builds even fishing boats, especially in turkey and holland 

 due to its strength, we knew that this would be a perfect choice for a canal boat as it will be able to take the unpredictable weather of a canal   

We used a process called extrusion welding

 

WHY HDPE BOAT

HPDE (high-density polyethylene) is a strong and robust material deviated from petrol. Unlike other polyethylenes, HDPE is heavy and firm. Approximately, 1.75 kg petrol is used to produce 1 kg HDPE raw material. HDPE is lighter then water and together with its durability, it becomes a preferred material for marine purposes. HDPE boats can be shaped by molding and extrusion methods. It can be processed in workshops and can be welded with special methods. It is difficult to combine with adhesives. HDPE is a very strong material with a density between 150000 – 400000. Its resistant to water and chemicals. HDPE’s mechanical composition is extremely strong on impact and tension. Normally the tension resistance is like 225-350 kgf/cm2 and heat resistance is above 100 OC. HDPE is widely used in pressure pipes, gas distribution pipes, liquid containers, machine and home appliance parts and in insulation. Lately, because of its resistance to water, it is also used in tank and boat manufacturing.

 

The advantages of HDPE in the boat building are;

HDPE Boats' service life is stronger than any boat, made of any other building material: Due to its chemical composition and its very nature HDPE is very durable against aging and corrosion in in marine conditions. HDPE boats' minimum measured life is 50 years. 

HDPE Boats are almost maintenance free: HDPE is not a corrosive material. Oxygen, salt and water have no effect on HDPE. There is no need for anti-foiling, painting, wintering, dry docking etc. 

HDPE Boats are very strong: HDPE is not a breakable material. Its very dense and Tension crack resistance and crack running resistance are high, the impacts remain minimum damage. HDPE boats are almost indestructible. 

HDPE Boats are environmentally friendly:  HDPE boats are 100 % recyclable. HDPE boats can be remelted and reshaped for reuse. HDPE boats do not require anti-fouling and therefore do not pose any toxic pollution to nature.

HDPE Boats are comfortable: HDPE is not a rigid material. Therefore HDPE boats are very comfortable especially in strong weather conditions, sailing on choppy seas in comparison to rigid conventional boats. 

Why do we use HDPE? Our indestructible HDPE hulls are specifically designed to be maintenance-free and do not require painting or anodes for protection. Made from 100% recyclable HDPE and built to last a lifetime. Light, strong, and very tough, custom built and finished to your requirements or choose for our existing models. Be the best and put a custom HDPE boat to the test. HDPE hulls do not require painting or antifouling as the very low friction coefficient of the material prevents marine growth from adhering to the material. The properties of HDPE also mean that it is corrosion, chemical and UV resistant and has 0% water absorption. How do we help the environment? HDPE has the lowest carbon footprint of all modern boat-building materials. We can manufacture all  boats for environments with sensitive marine ecosystems.

 

 

if anyone would like to know more please email me on 

 

shaun@formationplastics.co.uk

 

 

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Edited by shaun15124
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Canals can be a tough environment. Is it repairable? It would need framing or building with some sort of rigid structure otherwise any sort of bump would play havoc with the cupboards and doors. Good luck.

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Can we see the internal framing and does it meet the RCR/RCD ref. hull design The quote below leads me to suspect large flat areas will tend to flex a lot (there ia enough evidence that 6mm + steel does so on large unreinforced areas on some wide beam narrowboats.

 

27 minutes ago, shaun15124 said:

HDPE Boats are comfortable: HDPE is not a rigid material. Therefore HDPE boats are very comfortable especially in strong weather conditions, sailing on choppy seas in comparison to rigid conventional boats. 

 

If the hull is subject to more flex (as the quote suggests) how well does HDPE cope over its lifetime compared with steel or GRP.

 

How well does HDPE last under constant flexing fatigue.

 

By the way, I am not sure the cabin sides have enough inward slope to avoid damage on bridges and tunnels.

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It would be interesting to try and get it down in the water far enough to prevent it from going sideways. 

 

How would one ballast something like that? Presumably if you put a lot of weight in the bottom of it the base will move downwards. 

 

Interesting problem to solve. 

If it was 10m x 3m box then 1 metre draught is 30 tonnes 10cm would be 3 tonnes. I think you would need to get it down at least a foot so 2.5 x 3 is 7.5 tons approximately of ballast. 

 

 

That would be for 25cm draught. Not quite a foot. It wants to be a bit deeper so it is well over 10 tonnes isn't it ? 

 

Hmm. 

Edited by magnetman
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1 minute ago, Jon57 said:

Will epoxy stick to it? Just asking for a friend 👍

 

Good point, will anything stick to it? That is a bit important for fitting out. If, as I suspect, the answer is "not very well", then what provision is made for attaching things to the hull like cabin lining, battery trays and such like.

 

What is the thermal conductivity of HDPE like compared with steel. This is important because the vast majority of canal boats use skin tank cooling and with a flat bottom on canals proper keel cooling pipes are probably vulnerable to damage.

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2 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

Good point, will anything stick to it? That is a bit important for fitting out. If, as I suspect, the answer is "not very well", then what provision is made for attaching things to the hull like cabin lining, battery trays and such like.

 

What is the thermal conductivity of HDPE like compared with steel. This is important because the vast majority of canal boats use skin tank cooling and with a flat bottom on canals proper keel cooling pipes are probably vulnerable to damage.

 

Thank you for these very good points

 

currently, there are work boats done out hdpe not only in this country but in other parts of the world,

 

HDPE means High-Density Polyethylene which is a thermoplastic polymer produced from the monomer ethylene. HDPE is known for its high strength-to-density ratio. The density of HDPE can range from 930 to 970 kg/m3. Being lighter than water has an enormous advantage in the marine field. The HDPE is resistant to many solvents making it a perfect choice for the boat building industry. This material is widely used for applications like tanks, pipes, storage containers, etc. Until recently HDPE was not used for boat building considering the challenges that didn’t have a clear solution. Some of the major challenges are how to avoid the bending/buckling of the panels, and how to provide equal strength that is given by other materials. Once these obstacles are tackled, the industry started expanding so fast. Now there are many boat builders around the world started building HDPE boats considering the current demand and the future prospects. Though there is not a straightforward rule book/standard to follow for building these boats, the classification society has come forward to modify their current standards suitable for these boats. I am sure very soon we can expect a separate.

 

FRP/GRP and Carbon fiber are the most commonly used materials. To give a small comparison of these materials a 7m boat hull would require 4mm thickness for aluminum, 7-9 mm for FRP, and 15-20mm for HDPE. HDPE being just 3 times lighter in weight but 5 times thicker compared to aluminum you can figure out the challenges that come with the overall weight.

So if the HDPE boat is heavier why is it preferred over other materials? The reason is when it comes to the commercial weight is not the first priority for the owners or builders.

The most exciting advantages of HDPE is that its maintenance-free since the surface doesn’t catch barnacles, lighter than water to provide enough buoyancy, exhibits amazing impact strength to provide a smooth ride, recyclable completely to keep the environment safe, and very easy to repair. All these reasons make HDPE the perfect choice for boat owners. Usually once an FRP mold is made it’s not easy to change/customize the design. But with HDPE since it’s a welded panel the design can be modified in every boat. Everything put together HDPE definitely performs better than the other conventional materials in the commercial segment.     

 

hope this helps 🙂

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For canal boats you want something which is heavier than water because you need to get the whole thing, which is effectively brick shaped with pointy ends, down in the water enough to get the propeller right under and lower the air draft to avoid bridge strikes. 

 

Putting a LOT of weight into it will be necessary. Things like internal headroom will be reduced due to ballasting. 

 

With a steel boat some builders will use thicker plate for the base in order to reduce the need for ballast. Also with steel being heavier than water part of the ballasting is achieved by the weight of the shell itself. 

 

I think it is an interesting craft. 

It seems to me that the ballasting problem may be a significant hurdle to making it practical and useable on canals. 

 

The story is different with boat shaped boats but a rectangle does displace a LOT of water.

 

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1 minute ago, magnetman said:

For canal boats you want something which is heavier than water because you need to get the whole thing, which is effectively brick shaped with pointy ends, down in the water enough to get the propeller right under and lower the air draft to avoid bridge strikes. 

 

Putting a LOT of weight into it will be necessary. Things like internal headroom will be reduced due to ballasting. 

 

With a steel boat some builders will use thicker plate for the base in order to reduce the need for ballast. Also with steel being heavier than water part of the ballasting is achieved by the weight of the shell itself. 

 

I think it is an interesting craft. 

It seems to me that the ballasting problem may be a significant hurdle to making it practical and useable on canals. 

 

The story is different with boat shaped boats but a rectangle does displace a LOT of water.

 

They are gonna coat the entire base and sides with steel.Obvious innit.

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15 tonnes of Lithium batteries?

It could make quite a good rapid recharge station for passing electric boats. Cover in solar and fill it with batteries. People could plug in for an hour or two to top up their cruising range. 

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38 minutes ago, magnetman said:

This will be an electric boat I think. 

 

That is air enough, but don't some of the motors and possibly control gear need water cooling? If so I would be very reluctant to use raw water and as far as I can see anything else will require 2 pumps or a pump and a fan.

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HDPE pipework , and connectors to steel pipework,  are readily available.  Cooling would be a matter  of inserting  weld-in threaded bushes at the front end of the swim(s)  and connecting a suitable swim cooler array of steel pipework, in much the same way as has been done in steel craft with no, or inadequate sized, skin tanks.  There is a lot of area on four off 6ft long x  1 inch pipes.  The pipework will need periodic inspection, and painting, but that can be done when the stern gear is due inspection.

 

Internal framing, casual attachments to the structure and ballast are likely to be bigger issues IMO.

 

Behaviour in a fire might also be interesting.  Is HDPE LSZH, for example?

N

 

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19 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

That is air enough, but don't some of the motors and possibly control gear need water cooling? If so I would be very reluctant to use raw water and as far as I can see anything else will require 2 pumps or a pump and a fan.

Yes. Good point. 

 

I think perhaps a pod drive would be the way to go. Some of these have the controller in the underwater part as well as the motor obviously so cooling is dealt with that way. 

 

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, shaun15124 said:

HDPE Boats' service life is stronger than any boat,

I always look for a good service life.

1 hour ago, shaun15124 said:

HDPE boats' minimum measured life is 50 years.

I didn't realise they had been around that long.

1 hour ago, shaun15124 said:

HDPE is not a corrosive material.

That's good to know.

1 hour ago, shaun15124 said:

 HDPE is not a rigid material. Therefore HDPE boats are very comfortable especially in strong weather conditions, sailing on choppy seas in comparison to rigid conventional boats. 

I've always wanted to sail in a jelly.

 

The more serious aspects of this article have been dealt with above, so I'm happy to take a lighter view of the article.  I'm disappointed the OP didn't take the time to translate it into Enlish.

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10 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Yes. Good point. 

 

I think perhaps a pod drive would be the way to go. Some of these have the controller in the underwater part as well as the motor obviously so cooling is dealt with that way.

 

That would be a solution if considered at the design stage but unless the pod is to go into the rudder I can't see how it would fit on that hull. maybe two pods, one under each half of the uxter plate would allow water into the prop. Now, if it had no stern swim and the baseplate was swept upwards to meet the transom it would look more effective

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I think perhaps two relatively compact pods would be ideal. A bit exposed to damage though. You could put one on the centre line of the Uxter plate but that swim is not great for getting water to the prop. Same problem would apply if it were an inboard and normal stern gear. 

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1 hour ago, shaun15124 said:

 

Thank you for these very good points

 

currently, there are work boats done out hdpe not only in this country but in other parts of the world,

 

HDPE means High-Density Polyethylene which is a thermoplastic polymer produced from the monomer ethylene. HDPE is known for its high strength-to-density ratio. The density of HDPE can range from 930 to 970 kg/m3. Being lighter than water has an enormous advantage in the marine field. The HDPE is resistant to many solvents making it a perfect choice for the boat building industry. This material is widely used for applications like tanks, pipes, storage containers, etc. Until recently HDPE was not used for boat building considering the challenges that didn’t have a clear solution. Some of the major challenges are how to avoid the bending/buckling of the panels, and how to provide equal strength that is given by other materials. Once these obstacles are tackled, the industry started expanding so fast. Now there are many boat builders around the world started building HDPE boats considering the current demand and the future prospects. Though there is not a straightforward rule book/standard to follow for building these boats, the classification society has come forward to modify their current standards suitable for these boats. I am sure very soon we can expect a separate.

 

FRP/GRP and Carbon fiber are the most commonly used materials. To give a small comparison of these materials a 7m boat hull would require 4mm thickness for aluminum, 7-9 mm for FRP, and 15-20mm for HDPE. HDPE being just 3 times lighter in weight but 5 times thicker compared to aluminum you can figure out the challenges that come with the overall weight.

So if the HDPE boat is heavier why is it preferred over other materials? The reason is when it comes to the commercial weight is not the first priority for the owners or builders.

The most exciting advantages of HDPE is that its maintenance-free since the surface doesn’t catch barnacles, lighter than water to provide enough buoyancy, exhibits amazing impact strength to provide a smooth ride, recyclable completely to keep the environment safe, and very easy to repair. All these reasons make HDPE the perfect choice for boat owners. Usually once an FRP mold is made it’s not easy to change/customize the design. But with HDPE since it’s a welded panel the design can be modified in every boat. Everything put together HDPE definitely performs better than the other conventional materials in the commercial segment.     

 

hope this helps 🙂

 

It seems to me that the first paragraph is, in the main, trying to teach grandma. It also alludes to the question about using glues etc to fix to its surface. If barnacles don't adhere, why should glue?

 

The second paragraph seems to be unaware of steel boats, especially the UK's highly specific narrowboats. I can see it would be fine for many "punt" style workboats that don't undergo much fitting out but there are still too many unanswered question for my liking.

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6 minutes ago, magnetman said:

I think perhaps two relatively compact pods would be ideal. A bit exposed to damage though. You could put one on the centre line of the Uxter plate but that swim is not great for getting water to the prop. Same problem would apply if it were an inboard and normal stern gear. 

 

I agree, which is why I suspect UK narrowboat "design" is not properly understood. If HDPE sheets flex, then why can't the boat have a conventional stern swim rather than two straight sheets set at such a wide angle.

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