Shipyards Directory

Aqualine

hdpe boat builder Puerto Montt, Los Lagos, Chile

Aqualine is a Chilean boatbuilder that manufactures workboats and recreational craft entirely from virgin HDPE (high-density polyethylene) plate and pipe, cut, moulded, welded and fused rather than moulded in fibreglass tooling. The yard offers a line of models from 5 to 12 metres, including short and long cabin, fisherman, explorer and open sport configurations, with customisable deck layouts and transom dimensions. The company states it has built more than 1,100 HDPE vessels used in aquaculture, tourism, personnel and cargo transport, research and diving, and as tenders to larger ships. Aqualine is part of Grupo Empresas RTI and says its boats operate in Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Argentina, Brazil, Panama, Spain and Uruguay.

Aqualine

Aqualine is a boatbuilder specialising in vessels fabricated from 100% virgin HDPE (high-density polyethylene), using plate and tube stock that is cut, moulded, welded and fused. The company reports more than 1,100 HDPE boats built and is part of Grupo Empresas RTI, a group active since 1991 in LPG conversion equipment for engines and an official Yamaha service agent with parts stock and qualified technical staff. Aqualine highlights HDPE for impact and chemical resistance, inherent buoyancy, low maintenance (no antifouling or painting), UV-filtered material rated for long exposure to the elements, and construction costs it states can be up to 40% below aluminium equivalents.

Services

  • Design and construction of HDPE boats and launches for national and international customers
  • In-house development department for customised layouts and client-specified accommodations
  • Repair of HDPE hulls, including removal of impact marks and scratches
  • Standard model line engineered to use HDPE plate and pipe efficiently, avoiding special moulds
  • Indicative build time of around six weeks for an 8–9 m cabin boat

Vessel Types

  • Cabina Corta (short cabin): 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.2, 8.0, 9.0 m
  • Cabina Larga (long cabin): 7.2 to 11 m; Cabina Larga con Baño: 9 to 12 m
  • Cabina Explorer: 7.2 and 8.0 m; Cabina Explorer con Baño: 7.2 to 12 m
  • Cabina Pescador: 7.2 to 12 m; Cabina Pescador en Proa: 10, 11, 12 m with double side tubes and space for loading arms
  • Sin Cabina Deportiva open sport boat: 6 m LOA, 2.15 m beam, 0.89 m depth, up to 2,000 kg capacity
  • Model examples include L60SCD, L65C, L72C, L72CP, L80CE, L90CL, L100CE and L110CL (11 m, 3.2 m beam, approx. 4.7 t)
  • Applications: aquaculture and centre servicing, tourism, personnel and cargo transport, marine site habitability, research, diving and tenders for larger vessels

Location

  • Based in Chile (aqualine.cl), building for domestic and export markets
  • Vessels reported operating in Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Argentina, Brazil, Panama, Spain and Uruguay