Building with Carbon Fiber vs Metals

Carbon fiber is a superior building material to aluminum or other metals in the construction of high-speed ferries. Carbon fiber is stronger and lighter than traditional vessel building materials. The resulting lighter-weight end-product can be equipped with smaller engines than metal boats while reaching the same speeds and performance levels. Operators of carbon fiber ferries experience:

• Reduced fuel costs

• Reduced maintenance costs

• Reduced CO2 and NOX emissions

• Higher resale value

The European and Asian passenger-vessel marketplace has been capitalizing on the high strength and low weight benefits of carbon fiber for decades. Here in the US, we’ve been able to assess the positive impact of carbon fiber in the foreign marketplaces before we implemented it into our own industry. The case studies and ROI for these foreign vessels clearly show that it’s time to begin building carbon fiber ferries here in America.