What I’ve Learned from Owning a Polypropylene Boat (Hint: It Bounces)

 


What I’ve Learned from Owning a Polypropylene Boat (Hint: It Bounces)

(Or: Why My Boat Will Probably Outlive Me, the River, and Possibly the Sun)

When most people think of eco-friendly boating, they imagine sleek wooden craft, polished lovingly with linseed oil, or shiny electric launches humming along the Thames. Me? I went for something different: a Whaly made of polypropylene. Yes, it’s plastic. Yes, it looks like a cross between a tugboat and a bathtub. And yes — it bounces.

And weirdly, that’s one of its greenest features.

🛶 So, What’s Polypropylene Anyway?

Polypropylene is a thermoplastic polymer. In English? It’s tough, lightweight, and nearly indestructible. It’s used for everything from yoghurt pots to car bumpers. And in this case, my boat.

Unlike GRP (fibreglass), which is hard to recycle and tends to end its days mouldering in a boat graveyard, polypropylene can actually be recycled at the end of its life. That means my Whaly won’t haunt the riverbank forever. It’ll eventually come back as… who knows? A kayak. A bin. Maybe even another boat.

⚡ Powered by Sunshine (Literally)

The Whaly isn’t just recyclable — it’s electric. Our 3kW e-propulsion motor is powered by a chunky 30kg battery that we charge from our solar array at home. That means silent running, no fumes, and no faffing with petrol cans.

When filming sailing races or acting as a safety boat, it glides along like a ninja. The loudest thing on board is usually me shouting, “Starboard!”

💥 Yes, It Bounces

Here’s the fun part: hit a pontoon, a buoy, or even another boat, and the Whaly just shrugs it off. Where a GRP hull would chip or crack, polypropylene flexes, absorbs the impact, and then carries on as if nothing happened.

I’ve learned that:

  • It forgives my steering errors.

  • It forgives my crew’s docking “experiments”.

  • It’s basically the boat equivalent of a Labrador: cheerful, unbreakable, and always up for more.

🌍 The Green Credentials

  1. Durability – A boat that lasts decades is better than one that needs replacing.

  2. Recyclability – At the end of its long life, it can be melted down and reborn.

  3. Electric propulsion – Clean, quiet, solar-powered boating.

  4. Low maintenance – No antifoul paint, no polishing, no endless tins of toxic chemicals.

Sure, it’s not made of hand-crafted oak. But it’s honest, tough, and sustainable in its own way.

🚫 What It’s Not

  • Elegant – Nobody’s writing poetry about a Whaly.

  • Lightweight – It’s heavy to haul onshore (good exercise, though).

  • Fast – With 3kW, you’re gliding, not planing.

But then again, I didn’t buy it to win races. I bought it to film, to ferry, and to keep people safe on the Thames.

✅ Final Thought: Plastic Isn’t Always the Villain

Yes, plastic has a terrible reputation — and often deservedly so. But in this case, polypropylene makes sense. It’s strong, safe, recyclable, and paired with electric propulsion, it’s as green as small boats get.

Plus, did I mention? It bounces.

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