Technical Info

[521DVX]

I have seen the phrases "3 piece construction" and "vacuum bagged PVC cored hull" used in the design of some of the center consoles. Please explain what these phrases mean and what is the benifit of each in regards to the construction of a boat. Thanks

[slickster]

I'll try, 3 piece refers to a separate hull, liner and cap, usually bonded and bolted together to make a complete boat, vacuum bagging is a technique of recent years, glass is laid in the mold, total layers and types, a large plastic membrane then covers the layers and the air is withdrawn with a vacuum pump, then resin is injected, fully saturating all the layers at once, careful measuring is key, usually produces a more uniform, less labor intensive and less air voids in the layup....as to pvc cored hulls....coring is using material other than fiberglass to add rigidity and flotation to hulls, coring material is sandwiched between thinner layers of fiberglass, making up a "sandwich" that has more strength and less weight, divinicel and balsa wood are common coring materials, haven't heard of pvc......the technology in coring continues to evolve with impressive results of weight to strength ratios...not the cheapest way to build, yet...hope this helps,...Mick

[Eyeball]

Good stuff, Slickster! My ever so minor input: coring has nothing to do with floatation, everything to do with rigidity, and to a lesse extent, in recent years as thermal insulation of cabins. Sheets of PVC that looks like honeycomb is a newer product that is seeing some use as a core material. It has the benefit of not becoming water logged; the big issue with cores when/if the exterior layer of fiberglass is compromised.