Swallow Yachts Forum > Technical

GRP or ply?

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Nick Lawson:
I intend to buy a Storm 17 ready built and would appreciate some guidance on the choice of GRP over ply.  Apart from the consideration of price, I understand the GRP boat has a different hull shape and also weighs more.  I assume the extra weight of GRP will make the boat more stable on the water but harder to handle off.  I have heard good reports of the durability of modern ply boats so don't know if GRP is the obvious choice on that count.

I may well end up having to launch and retrieve the boat on my own so the lower weight of wood may be a godsend.

Any views would be welcome.

Julian Swindell:
I can't comment on the Storm range, but I have an epoxy ply Baycruiser and I love the material. The boat is very light, it is very easy to add or move fittings and it seems completely durable. I spend all winter tinkering with it in a way I simply couldn't do with GRP. I would choose it as a beter boat material even if the costs were the same.

Andy Dingle:
Hi Nick
I have the epoxy ply Bayraider, (BR12), like Julian I am very pleased with it. She is very light and strong but still very stable. A very significant point when moving her around on her trailer ashore. Like you I find my crew suddenly finds she needs to visit the ladies when the boat needs to be shunted around! On the water, I find that I rarely need to fill the water ballast completely, (except in heavy weather), as we both like the speed she can achieve in a decent breeze.

Although the GRP option wasn't around when I ordered my BR I certainly think that the epoxy ply material is worth every extra penny it cost.

Dare I say too that apart from the ease of maintenance, I think the epoxy ply hull looks better. I have the strip plank decking in mahogany on my boat and she looks stunning!

Regards

Andy Dingle

BR12 'Psalter'

Craic:
Nick,
my SeaRaider is Wood-Epoxy, my first BayRaider, No. 11, is GRE -Glass Reinforced Epoxy-. My other BR No. 39 is GRP -Glass Reinforced Polyester-.

I very much prefer the plastic boats for their durability and their lowest possible maintenance. The GRP BR hull is the toughest of the lot.
That boat is practically bullet-proof, and considering it is also the cheapest of the lot, I would go for that again any day.

The wood-epoxy hull is fairly lightweight, true, but that comes a price. First, it is a lot more expensive to buy, and secondly, the 6 mm wood hull punctures quite easily above the waterline (the glass hardened part is under the waterline). I had two punctures (splintered indentations) there from very minor encounters. And as most of the above waterline area is double-walled with airtanks under the gunnels, repair can only be done from the outside.

Then also, the wood epoxy is difficult to repaint, a lot of sanding required. My 2005 SeaRaider needed a new paint coat in the cockpit and on the deck. I just couldn't do it myself, with all the tiny details. I had to give it to a pro, and paid a bundle for it. The GRE and GRP hulls on the other side still look like as new, even though they have done a good bit of mileage on the road and on the water.

Wood or plastic, your own decision.

Julian Swindell:
It all depends on you and what you like to do. I have just completely repainted my BayCruiser as she was quite knocked about last year. It isn't a big job, provided you have somewhere to do it (big proviso). I did the whole thing over last weekend.

The outside of the hull takes about half an hour to mask with tape and maybe 45 minutes to roller dark green. It has come up like a mirror, which has surprised me.

The topsides, cabin and cockpit take longer because of all the cleats, fixings, hatches etc. but still, I reckon it took me about 2 hours to mask and about the same to paint. I'm not a perfectionist, so a little paint on the edge of hinges and things doesn't bother me. 

What I like about a painted finish is that you can move fittings around with gay abandon as it is so easy to make good to old screw holes. A bit of marine filler, a quick sand, a couple of dabs of paint with a foam brush and it looks like new. I never found a way of really making good to the gel coat finish on my old GRP boats, to the extent I eventually painted one. (I didn't like the original colour anyway, and it had gone dull). I haven't had to deal with any puncture repairs (touch wood) but it would be easier on the BayCruiser than the Raider I think as the side decks are open, but repairs from one side are not all that difficult with epoxy and plywood patches. I have repaired bullet holes (don't ask) on a GRP dinghy from the outside and it is really quite easy.

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