Nuevaera Marine

HDPE boats have multiple benefits, one of the main ones being positive buoyancy. This is because the density of the material (polyethylene density = 0.95 g/cm3) is lower than the density of fresh water (fresh water density = 1 g/cm3).
Because the boat has positive buoyancy, its load capacity is significantly increased.

Another benefit found is the elasticity module that polyethylene presents. When faced with impacts that the boat may receive, the following occurs:
a. The impact is very strong and can deform the piece; in this case, the boat must be left in the sun for several days; the deformation can disappear and the impact area can return to its original form, due to an effect called reconstructive memory.
b. The collision is not so important as to deform the area covered by the impact, so the piece is deformed but instantly returns to its original form. This does not generally occur with other materials.
With these characteristics, you can navigate with greater confidence in black or shallow waters.

Sea salt and humidity affect iron, steel, aluminium, wood and GRP, leading to corrosion and/or degradation. HDPE is more resistant than conventional materials, and therefore its useful life is also more resistant, making it an ideal material for manufacturing all types of floating elements. It is not subject to the effects of the environment, which is why it is considered “zero” maintenance. We can say that HDPE is a material that is resistant to the passage of time, with a useful life of more than 40 years.

It is unlikely that a HDPE boat will require repairs, but if it does suffer an incident with considerable damage, it is possible to repair it and continue sailing normally.
Specialist plastic companies can carry out these repairs easily and at low cost. They can be repaired by welding, replacing sections of the hull if there is considerable damage, or applying sealants and fillers to small cracks or dents. There are also DIY welding kits for small repairs.

In traditional boat building, moulds are required to shape the hull and in other cases such as tyres, they do not allow for any adjustments. NUEVAERA MARINE® HDPE boats are 100% hand built, providing great design flexibility to tailor the exact shape to your needs. Including the installation of equipment such as seating and storage spaces, all custom made.

Conventional materials are affected by marine growth, whereas the HDPE hull has a smooth, compact surface that prevents fouling from adhering to it. For this reason, it does not require anti-fouling paint and does not introduce toxic pollution into the environment.

If you work with chemicals or have to navigate on hydrocarbons, usually in spill containment, you will instantly notice the difference with other materials; since these chemical agents do not alter the quality of the boat. Residues are easily removed by means of a water pressure washer.

Very few chemicals can affect HDPE, so you do not have to worry about corrosion or discoloration. It is a material that does not require preventive or residual maintenance.

Another important feature that makes this material the best choice for work is its resistance to extreme temperatures. The temperature limits that the material supports (-40°C and +80°C) allow the boat to navigate without problems in very cold waters such as in Antarctica. At the same time, if you are sailing in warm waters under the radiant sun, it does not affect the navigation of the boat. All worries about inflating or deflating the pontoons in inflatable boats disappear here.

As explained in the first point, HDPE boats have positive buoyancy, therefore they tend to float on water. In turn, the low friction index due to the low roughness of the material’s surface, added to the positive buoyancy, promotes the boat to plan faster. Consequently, these characteristics lead to lower fuel consumption when sailing.

Boats made of aluminium or GRP (or other materials) have a limited lifespan and are not easy to recycle. HDPE, however, can be recovered and recycled. When the boat has reached the end of its useful life, it will have served its purpose for many years and will probably still be strong enough to be transformed into another useful piece.