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Poppy's Fibreglass uses Diab composites to make houseboats

19 Jun '14

3 min read

Poppy’s Fibreglass on the Sunshine coast, Queensland, Australia uses DIAB infusion technology to take the manufacturing of their ingenious houseboats one step further.

The experienced father and son team has been in the fiberglass industry for a combined total of 35 years; 11 of them running their own business. A registered boat builder, Poppy’s Fibreglass also manufactures panels for busses, camper roofs and ski boats, among other things. Their successful trailable houseboat/caravan, “Boat A Home,” is the perfect choice for people who enjoy boating as well as camping.

Designed for three, the combined houseboat/caravan can easily accommodate up to six people for a day of fishing or camping. Powered by one or two 40hp engines, the “Boat A Home” has a top cruising speed of 25 knots. The unique twin hull design ensures a stable and comfortable ride and the interior of the houseboat offers comforts such as a cooker, fridge and freezer, shower, toilet and a comfortable double bed.

With all these niceties on board, how can the “Boat A Home" stay so light; the secret is in the construction. Using DIAB’s lightweight marine sandwich composite allows the team to produce a lightweight, yet strong and durable construction. A high-quality vinylester resin on the hull helps eliminate osmosis, and the pontoon twin hulls are filled with buoyancy foam for positive floatation with extraordinary strength. As a result, no special vehicle permits are required, since the vessel is well within the ADR (Australian Design Rules) standards and towing requirements. The vessel/vehicle is light enough to be loaded onto its custom-designed aluminum trailer to take to the next lake or campground.

Word of the team’s first-class workmanship and vast experience within the field of fiberglass technology has allowed for production to ramp up in recent years, and so Poppy’s Fibreglass has decided to move from contact molding to a faster resin infusion process. By attending one of DIAB’s popular infusion training courses in Australia, they have learned more about the process and have now introduced the efficient and flexible vacuum bagging system in their production.

With the new system, Poppy’s Fibreglass is able to manufacture fiberglass panels that are up to 7 meter long and 2.4 meters wide, with a large selection of colors to choose from for true customization. The production system also allows for the manufacturing of one-off products as well as mass-produced parts for commercial industries. Designed for Australian conditions and using only the best cores, a vessel or vehicle from Poppy’s Fibreglass is the natural choice for almost any adventure.

Diab Group