Pat Conroy, the Minister for Defence Industry, and Carol Brown, the Assistant Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, visited advanced manufacturing company PFG to view the companies operations and experience The Sentinel 1100. The aim of the visit was to showcase the virtues of High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) as a boat building material and how it compares to other materials used in boat building.

During their visit, the ministers experience The Sentinel 1100, a tactical response vessel, built using HDPE. A ride on the Derwent gave both Ministers the opportunity to observe the stability, durability, and resilience of the Sea Boat in action. HDPE has advantages over other traditional boat building materials such as aluminium, fiberglass, and composite materials. For instance, HDPE is highly resistant to abrasion, impact, and puncture, and requires minimal maintenance compared to other materials.

After experiencing The Sentinel, the ministers toured PFG’s workshop, where they observed how HDPE is applied in boat building. A display with various advantages of using HDPE over other boat building materials, including its exceptional buoyancy and stability in rough water conditions, its ability to withstand harsh weather conditions, and its resistance to corrosion, rot, and other forms of degradation was available.

Overall, the visit by the ministers was an opportunity to showcase the benefits of HDPE as a superior material for boat building. The Sentinel 1100 boat built using HDPE is a perfect example of how the material can be used to produce high-quality, long-lasting boats that require minimal maintenance and can withstand even the harshest weather conditions.

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The Sentinel 1100 has been designed to demonstrate PFG’s proven boat building capabilities and its application to the defence sector.

PFG Chief Executive Officer, Robert Inches, said the Sentinel 1100 is an adaptable platform designed to deliver advantage in insertion, extraction, and interdiction operations, enhancing mission capability for defence and security organisations.

“HDPE is the next generation boat-building material delivering a vessel of unparalleled safety, survivability and performance in interdiction boarding, pursuit, tactical assault, and first response applications,” he said.

“Cutting edge Hamilton jet propulsion and dynamic positioning systems work in tandem to provide precision manoeuvrability at low speed, resulting in propeller-free propulsion for personnel safety.

“The Sentinel range is the world’s only tactical watercraft manufactured from HDPE, autonomous ready, offering superior durability and reliability in the face of sustained force, optimised for airdrops and hard beaching and ultimately delivers enhanced capability to tactical missions.”

HDPE’s absorption properties dampen noise, vibration and personnel fatigue, while its high stability and responsive handling reduce rollover risk.

Mr Inches said the construction of this vessel was an important step in demonstrating PFG’s ability to deliver next generation world class tactical watercraft.

“We provide a sovereign capability with Australian design, manufacture, and sustainment. In partnership with One2three naval architects, PFG has developed and delivered an adaptable platform deployable to a range of mission sets, offering unmatched performance, safety, and stability,” he said.

“The construction of this vessel was made possible with the support of the Tasmanian Government and its focus on assisting Tasmanian businesses like ours to secure future opportunities across domestic and international military and security domains.

“We were grateful to have Tasmanian Minister for Advanced Manufacturing and Defence Industries, Madeleine Ogilvie, present at the expo to officially unveil the vessel today.”

The Sentinel 1100 vessel will be available for demonstration and sale on return to Tasmania in the coming weeks.

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Eleven Australian innovators from both the defence and civil sectors have been shortlisted for the prestigious Innovation Awards, worth $30,000, with three other Tasmanian companies as finalists.

The entry centred around High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) as a ‘next generation’ boat building material, PFG’s use of which is understood to be a world-first for defence. HDPE has been proven to deliver advantages in industrial and workboat outcomes for over 30 years, and while we pioneered this in the southern hemisphere, our main goal has been to incorporate this material into a high-performing naval craft. In order to achieve this, we have been required to develop a deep working knowledge of the material, highly innovative methods of construction, and a strong partnership with design teams and end-users.

This introduction and adoption of HDPE as a boat building material for tactical watercraft for the application in the defence industry, is the reason we have been short-listed for the Indo Pacific 2022 National and SME Innovation Awards.

The winners will be announced at a special online event on 26 April and receive their Awards during the Indo Pacific 2022 International Maritime Exposition at Sydney’s International Convention Centre (ICC) at Darling Harbour.

PFG would like to congratulate all other short-listed organisations and look forward to updating you on the outcome after the winners are announced.

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The Sentinel range has evolved to include a broad range of RHIBs and vessels capable of achieving many mission sets.

PFG’s latest demonstration boat, The Sentinel 1100 is currently under construction and is taking shape in the Goodwood workshop.

Production over the last month is progressing with the 1100 configurable to a range of defence and security applications.

In collaboration with our partners, the development and delivery of the tactical watercraft are expected to hit the water ahead of Indo Pacific International Maritime Exposition 2022.

Workshop update in pictures

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Hobart based boat builder PFG, today announced that through an open Tender process, it had secured a contract valued at approximately $6 million with the New Zealand Defence Force to design and construct three 12.5 metre, high-speed Littoral Manoeuvre Craft (LMC). These watercraft, will be fully constructed from next generation boat building material, High Density Polyethylene (HDPE).

PFG’s Chief Executive Officer, Rob Inches said today that the awarding of the contract was recognition of over 25 years’ experience the company has had in the building of durable and safe high-performance boats.

We have been building boats with HDPE for over 25 years, mainly for use in the aquaculture industry. However, with our Sentinel Tactical Watercraft branded boats, we have had success more recently in the police and emergency services sectors”, Mr Inches stated.

“Our boats are renowned for being virtually indestructible, can’t corrode or suffer from electrolyses and renown don’t ever require painting resulting in comparably low whole of life costs.

“The boat hulls are 100% recyclable, and of course being built in Tasmania, they are constructed using 100% renewable energy. We are also delighted that we have been able to partner with New Zealand industry with the inclusion of the highly renowned Hamilton Jet water propulsion units and General Marine Services of Auckland who are both major equipment suppliers and sustainment partners for the program.

“Due to the design excellence of a partner naval architects, One2Three of Sydney, and PFG’s craftmanship in building quality, the boats perform to a very high level, offering strength, reliability, manoeuvrability and crew safety that is unmatched in this class of craft.

“We are also proud that these craft are being built in a region such as Tasmania, a State with a boat building heritage stretching back over 200 years,” Mr Inches said.

“The LMC’s will provide the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) with an improved ability to detect and respond to underwater threats, support expeditionary reconnaissance and provide an agile platform for the transport of troops and materiel.

“It is also important that the LMCs are capable of performing multiple roles and tasks and be able to operate in a forward command role as required.

“We are proud of our Sentinel craft and proud of the team we have assembled who will deliver them. We are also delighted to work with the RNZN to develop a boat that will set a new bench mark in meeting the needs of a modern defence force,” Mr Inches said.

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World Champion Axeman, David Foster OAM took a swing at high-density polyethylene (HDPE) to see if he could break through the tough material.

The aluminium buckled significantly and came close to tearing. Apart from scuff marks, the HDPE remained unblemished.

We make all our tactical watercraft out of HDPE.

A superior marine construction material due to its everlasting strength without corrosion.

HDPE construction material absorbs vibration, which enhances benefits to the crew and passengers.

• There is no corrosion or electrolysis
• The material is easy to maintain, which improves availability and reliability
• HDPE lasts four times longer than aluminium

Built to withstand the harshest environments our boats are so durable that the first vessel built back in 1994 remains in commercial survey.

See how HDPE stands up against aluminium in the video below.

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