Materials & Sizes
Rotomoulded polyethylene sits at the tough, cheap and small end of the market. These are not luxury boats, but for the right owner they are impossible to beat on practicality.
Rotomoulded polyethylene bowriders and open-bow runabouts: where they make sense, their limits, and how they compare to alloy and glass.
The bowriders that come up most often when readers ask us where to start.
The world's best-selling bowrider size, in its most accessible form: light, simple and easy to tow.
US$38,000 - US$52,000 new
The refined mainstream benchmark: quiet, dry, and beautifully finished for the money.
US$72,000 - US$95,000 new
The previous-generation classic. Millions of families learned to boat in one of these.
US$8,000 - US$22,000 used
It does not rust, rot, blister or corrode. It bounces off jetties and rocks that would gouge glass and dent alloy. It needs no antifoul, no gel coat polishing and effectively no maintenance beyond a hose down.
For a lake boat, a knockabout family runabout or a tender with seating, it is the lowest-hassle material available.
Polyethylene hulls are limited in size, typically under 16 ft (4.88 m) in the open-bow form. They flex more, so hull shapes stay simple, and the ride is noticeably less refined at speed.
Finishing is basic: expect moulded seating rather than upholstered lounges, and simple storage rather than deep locker systems.
Families on inland waterways, holiday-house owners who want a boat that lives outside all year, and anyone who values zero maintenance over refinement. If you want to tow skiers all day or cross open water, choose aluminium or fibreglass instead.
