Fiberglass fishing boat, 8.5m, 10persons

Around the mid-1960s, boats made of fiberglass (glass-reinforced plastic) became popular, especially for recreational boats. The United States Coast Guard refers to these as 'FRP' (for fiber-reinforced plastic) boats. Fiberglass boats are strong, and do not rust, corrode, or rot. Instead, they are susceptible to structural degradation from sunlight and extremes in temperature over their lifespan. FRP structures can be made stiffer with sandwich panels, where the FRP encloses a lightweight core such as balsa or foam.