Tideman Boats US manufacturers high speed, virtually indestructible, HDPE hulls and other marine components for the North American marine market. It is an offshoot of Tideman Boats, the Dutch company pioneered by Bruno Tideman. The vessels manufactured by Tideman are especially beneficial in shallow waters and rocky coastlines. Hannah Barnett spoke with Sales and Business Development Manager Matt O’Sullivan to learn more.
The distinguishing feature of Tideman Boats US is summed up by four letters, HDPE: the company fabricates hulls in this durable, lightweight, high-density polyethylene material.
Sales and Business Development Manager Matt O’Sullivan extolled the virtues of working with HDPE: “The material has been used in boat building for decades. It’s very sound for welding and is sledgehammer – impact tough. It’s in a class of its own.”
HDPE means low maintenance, no bottom paint, less dense than water and virtually indestructible.
Bruno Tideman, founder of the Dutch company Tideman Boats BV, discovered the use of HDPE while working as an aluminium boat builder. For years, he tested it out, proved it and never looked back.
Bruno explored bringing Tideman to the North American market in early 2021. By February 2022, after forming a joint venture with Yacht Eco, LLC, an innovative partner, and United Plastic Fabricating (UPF), a thermoplastic fabrication company with over 35 years in the industry, Tideman Boats US was born.
“A perfect match bringing UPF and Tideman Boats BV together to form Tideman Boats US,” Mr O’Sullivan reflected. “It’s been excellent partnering with Bruno and his experience, bringing the pioneering legacy built in Europe onwards into North America. Equally important is the strategic investment and plastic fabrication expertise UPF brings to the table, as the majority owner of the Tideman Boats US joint venture and the sole supplier of the Tideman hulls.”
A link in the chain
One key element separating Tideman Boats US from its Dutch roots is that this operation focuses specifically on the fabrication of bare hulls. This means the
com pany partners directly with boat builders all over North America, from its two fabrication facilities in Wisconsin and Florida. Tideman hulls are manufactured in UPF’s facilities, by leading experts in thermoplastic design and fabrication.
“We are part of the supply chain,” Mr O’Sullivan explained. “So instead of being the boat builder, we are supplying a part of the boat, the bare hull. The boat builders take our HDPE hull and perform the vessel outfitting, the aluminium work, rig propulsion, marine electronics et cetera, then deliver the boats to their customers. Most often an HDPE hull with aluminium outfitting above deck: the best of both worlds.
“We chose not to compete against the existing boat builders, but rather to partner alongside, offering aluminium and fiberglass boat builders a Tideman HDPE hull to work with and supply their customer’s demand.”
When it comes to partners, Mr O’Sullivan acknowledged a few including Metal Shark in Louisiana, Waypoint Marine in Massachusetts and LMM Boats in Washington State. He also referenced partners in Florida, North Carolina and Canada as part of the expanding network.
“We want boat builders to order our hull like they would a Yamaha or Mercury outboard,” he continued. “We’re part of the
“THE PRODUCTION OF HDPE USES 1/5 OF THE CARBON FOOTPRINT THAT ALUMINIUM DOES. IT’S ALSO 100 PERCENT RECYCLABLE: NO WASTE ”
supply chain and deliver hulls fast. Our own supply chain and labour is both simple and has depth. We use Rochling HPDE and have over 100 welders on staff.
What the hull
Bruno Tideman’s vision was to build a safe and robust work boat that would last. So the company’s signature vessel, the RBB (Rigid Buoyancy Boat) is built for exactly that.
“The Tideman RBB hulls are designed for utility and performance on the water,” explained Mr O’Sullivan. “The material itself is less dense than water (it floats) and exhibits zero corrosion, coupled with
versatile aluminium outfitting above deck, creating an outstanding vessel overall.
Additionally, the environmental sustainability of HDPE is a significant selling point for the future. According to Mr O’Sullivan, the production of HDPE uses 1/5 of the carbon footprint that aluminium does: “It’s also 100 percent recyclable: no waste. ”
Tideman Boats US is in a good position to provide the material and labour for hulls in North America. The company delivered its first RBB 700 hull for a boat that went to Hawaii last year. Another RBC 900 hull went to a workboat delivered to California. There were a handful of other RBB hull sales last year, as well as building a few custom marine vessels, including a project completed for General Dynamics.
“Partnering with Metal Shark has been very significant for us,” said Mr O’Sullivan. “They are one of the best boat builders in the world. We’re excited to recognise the synergy. The best workboats and patrol boats in the future will combine aluminium and HDPE, once customers in North American understand the benefits.”
An HDPE future
Going forward, the company is overcoming obstacles and offering its innovative HDPE materials to the wider market.
“One challenge is getting the material widely recognised,” said Mr O’Sullivan. “People are beginning to understand that it works, is safe and reliable. We have so much interest in this product, and everybody recognises how cool and innovative it is.
But it’s also new to North America. We are about 10 years behind Europe on this front.
Part of the company’s quest for wider recognition will come from classification by regulatory bodies. Mr O’Sullivan highlighted the United States Coast Guard and the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) as entities that can help bring HDPE to the mainstream. “DNV in Europe now recognises HDPE, having put it into their small craft rules in 2022,” he said. “We need more support in the US to recognise HDPE as a viable and safe material for hull building, and to have HDPE take its seat at the table with steel, aluminium, and fiberglass.”
The other exciting development around the corner for this innovative and everevolving company is that Tideman Boats US will soon be called Tideman Marine.
“This is something we’re all excited about,” revealed Mr O’Sullivan. “It focuses on the fact that Tideman builds hulls in North America: our RBB bare hulls, custom hulls and vessels, and other innovative marine components as the industry grows.”
There is no doubt that Mr O’Sullivan is highly passionate about the HDPE hull technology and the strategic growth opportunity, and he has the industry experience to back it up.
“It's a privilege to build on Bruno’s legacy in Europe here in North America,” he concluded. “It’s remarkable to consider what is happening within the industry. The innovation of utilising HDPE f or marine vessels, the simplicity of it, the way we can utilise this material and wha t it brings to the industry is truly gamechanging. These are boats that don't dent. They don't need bottom paint. They perform incredibly on the water, resisting impact, lowering fatigue. It's a revolution of the industry. I am pleased to be a part of that.”
