Why is it Unsinkable
- Double-skinned construction: The boat has two layers. “It’s as if there is one boat inside another,” explained Mr Stephen Seow. The space between the first and second layer is filled with a rigid foam that will not absorb water. Even if the outer layer breaks, the inner one will keep the boat afloat.
- Buoyancy chambers: The boat has two tanks filled with foam. If the boat hits a rock and gets a hole in the hull, it will still stay afloat.
- Self-draining holes: Each boat contains four self-draining holes, except for the smallest model, which as two. Any water that gets into the boat will be automatically drained out. The holes are aboce the waterline, so water cannot flow in.
- Reinforced hull: The hull is designed and reinforced to keep the boat stable even on rough waters. The vessel’s special properties also enable it to float in only 10cm of water, said Mr. Seow
One Hull of a Boat
Stories/ ANGELINE SONG
Pictures/ JONATHAN CHOO
WE’RE told you can now fish in troubled waters. Literally. You can go out to sea even when the storm blows or the waves surge – says Mr Stephen Seow.
The 55-year-old technical director of Dynaglass has built boats that he says cannot sink.
“I often read about fishermen who get lost at sea when their boats capsize during a storm,” said Mr Seow. “Being an avid fisherman myself, I know how dangerous and uncomfortable it can be on Tough seas or during a storm.” So, his Dynaglass Fisherman boats are made to stay afloat, even in a violent storm, Mr. Seow said.
Each boat has two buoyancy tanks filled with foam, self & draining holes and a unique hull design for extra stability. The boats also have double-skinned construction. They are made of materials such as fibre-glass, reinforced plastic and high-density polyethylene.
“My ideas for the boat developed over the years. They grew out of my own and my friends’ experiences as fishermen,” said Mr Seow. The ideas weathered many storms over three years before Mr Seow came up with a prototype which he liked. Many boats were lost along the way.
Mr Seow’s boats are specially designed for fishermen. There is a tank to keep the fish alive and fresh. There are compartments for fuel and the anchor.
The vessels are made in Mr Seow’s Tuas factory. They have been exported to the Middle East over the past four years. The seas there are known to be very rough. The company sells 100 boats a year to Middle Eastern countries alone. The boats are also sold to Holland, Canada, Papua New Guinea and, more recently, East Malaysia.
Last November, the boats were shown for the first time in the Power Boat Grand Prix Exhibition here. Now, Mr Seow wants to introduce them to the local market in a big way.
“I am confident that once Singaporean fishermen and sailing buffs find out about this boat, they will want to buy it because it is so safe,” said Mr Seow. They have also been approved for rescue operations by the American Bureau of Shipping.
I owe my life to the boat, says storm survisor
ONE fishing enthusiast who will stake his life on the Dynaglass Fisherman boat is Mr Darwis Ajirsama, 38. He survived a violent storm on the Indonesian waters eight months ago, thanks to Fisherman 20D, he said.
On Oct 17 last year, he went fishing with a friend on the Indonesian waters south of Singapore, directly across Sultan Shoal Lighthouse.
“I suddenly felt a strange wind, and knew that a storm was approaching,” said Mr Darwis, a production manager with Sweco Far East.
“My friend and I prepared to go back. Unfortunately, our anchor got stuck, and by the time we had it released, the storm had broken.
“It was pitch black and we couldn’t see beyond 10 meters.” As their compass was not working, they did not know where they were heading.
His friend panicked, but Mr Darwis remained calm. “This boat is special. All the water that got in just drained out by itself, and it was steady. I’ve owned five boats and this is the best.” They were at sea for two hours before the storm cleared and they made it to shore.
But another group of Singaporean anglers did not. Their boat sank in the Horsburgh Lighthouse and Pulau Lima area in the Straits of Singapore. Two men were rescued, but two others could not be found.
