Outokumpu Oy, Finland, announces the first-ever boat built entirely out of stainless steel. The boat was constructed and built by Swedish Steel Yachts (SSY) based in Gävle, Sweden. Durable super duplex stainless steel grade 2507 in combination with SSY’s patented construction ensures that the hull of the boat can be made extremely thin without compromising strength. The hull and super structure of the boat weigh some 4400 lb., which is one third that of typical steel boats.
The use of high strength and durable duplex stainless steel makes the boat entirely maintenance-free and resistant to hard weather conditions during the winter. Outokumpu’s units in Nyby, Avesta, and Degerfors in Sweden delivered about 5 metric tons of super duplex 2507 stainless steel to the construction of the 10.5 meter-long boat.
The construction provides a progressive flexibility, which means that the hull moves in a controlled manner when subjected to powerful wave pressure. Mirror finish surface on the bottom of the boat also ensures that water elements don’t attach on the boat surface.
“Commonly boats are produced using glass fiber or carbon steel, which require a lot of maintenance in the form of painting. With stainless steel, no maintenance is required. Additionally, thanks to the high strength of duplex, considerable weight savings in the boat structure were achieved, since thinner material could be used,” says Pernilla Wangenborn, sales manager at Outokumpu’s sales office in Sweden.
“We are very excited to have completed this flagship boat built entirely out of stainless steel. Our vision was to construct a boat that honors the long shipbuilding history in the Gävle region in Sweden and combine it with our desire to build strong and sustainable boats. The use of stainless steel enabled us to meet both of these goals,” says Håkan Rosén, SSY.
The boat, called Elvira, was christened for its maiden voyage on July 27, 2014.
