Preforms Available from West Marine

Prisma Composite Preforms, manufactured by Compsys, Inc. and widely used by production boat builders, are now going to be made available to the boat repair and retail market through West Marine, Watsonville, Calif.

Prisma preforms are used for stringers and bulkheads and replace conventional wood or fiberglass stringer and bulkhead grid systems. The custom Prisma products consist of dry knitted fiberglass preformed around a flotation grade polyurethane foam core.

The company estimates that stringer and bulkhead installation time can be reduced by 70 percent and hull weight savings of 50 percent have been achieved.

West Marine will initially carry the product line in its 2001 catalog and will expand the Prisma line into its retail locations this Spring. Prisma preforms were used in the construction of Norsafe's new GES-50 life boat, which recently passed all qualifications required by IMO and SALAS, including a 160 free-fall drop test. "The PRISMA Beam 'air frame' design was essential to passing the world's highest drop test" according to said Norsafe's Birger Kullmann.. "The preform beam framing has a clear advantage over plywood or fiberglass stringers because the light weight beams can be positioned quickly and fixed to a wet skin, eliminating secondary bond concerns."