The FRP is called as fiberglass reinforced plastic, is a composite material made of glass fiber and its products (glass fiber cloth, felt, etc.) as a reinforcing material and synthetic resin as a base material. It was born in the United States in the 1950s. It was originally used mainly for military and aviation. It was gradually converted to civilian use after the technology was mature and the cost was reduced.

FRP itself has the characteristics of structural design, process and product integration. That is, while FRP is manufactured, the corresponding structural design is also completed simultaneously, and generally does not require secondary processing. Simplifying the operation can also avoid some defects caused by secondary processing, which is also a significant difference from other traditional materials.

Compared with boats, made of wood, aluminum and steel, FRP boat has a tensile strength greater than that of steel, which is slightly inferior to aluminum. FRP has the advantages of light weight and high strength, but its modulus of elasticity is low and it is easy to deform. However, on the other hand, this characteristic can absorb the energy added by the external force without causing permanent deformation and is not easy to be broken. Therefore, if the FRP fishing boat collides or hits the reef, the hull is not easily broken due to the force deformation.

FRP has the characteristics of high strength, low density, impact resistance, corrosion resistance, electrical insulation, heat insulation, no insects, easy molding and long service life. It is an ideal material for the construction of small and medium-sized fishing boats. The main disadvantages of FRP materials are low modulus of elasticity and low interlaminar shear strength. The modulus of elasticity is one tenth of that of steel and twice larger than wood.

More than 90% of the fishing boats in our country are boats below 30 m, which is very suitable for construction with FRP. The inter-layer shear strength of FRP is low, and the inter-layer shear should be avoided as much as possible during structural design. FRP fishing boats make full use of these characteristics of FRP to make them superior to steel and wooden fishing boats.