Inside the Aquila Factory: Lamination, Vacuum Infusion & Hull Engineering

This is where boat building gets serious. In Episode 3 of our exclusive factory tour, we go inside Aquila’s lamination facility to see the vacuum infusion process, vinyl ester resin technology, and one-shot hull construction that make every Aquila catamaran stronger, lighter, and built to last.

Catching up on the series?

Episode 1 covered the history of Aquila, the design philosophy, and the R&D facility at the Sino Eagle Shipyard.  Episode 2 went inside the parts warehouse, stainless steel fabrication, woodworking, cabinetry, and upholstery shops.

As the exclusive distributor for Aquila Sailing Catamarans in North America, Mexico, and the Caribbean, The Catamaran Company is proud to bring you exclusive factory access. In Episode 3, we get into the heart of what makes an Aquila hull so exceptional — the lamination and vacuum infusion process that sets this brand apart from the majority of catamaran manufacturers on the market.

Stage One: Gel Coat Application

The lamination process begins before a single layer of fiberglass is laid. Inside a temperature- and humidity-controlled workshop, the team applies a product called Delco — a white gel coat — directly onto the red mold. Think of the mold like a cake tin: the gel coat is the first thing sprayed in, and when the finished hull is eventually lifted clear, that white surface becomes the exterior of the boat.

Temperature and humidity control at this stage is not optional — it is critical. The gel coat must cure at the correct temperature to ensure it sets uniformly, and that consistency must be maintained from one hull to the next. Every boat that goes through lamination at Aquila passes through a dedicated, controlled environment to guarantee exactly that.

Protecting the team working in these spaces is equally important. The lamination workshops require respiratory protection and careful air management — part of the same commitment to staff welfare and environmental standards that runs throughout the entire Sino Eagle Shipyard.

Fiberglass Layering & Foam Core Construction

Once the gel coat has been applied, the structural build-up begins. Carefully cut panels of fiberglass — biaxial, quad-axial, and other weave patterns depending on location — are laid into the mold. The pattern and weave of each piece is chosen based on the load requirements of that specific area of the hull.

Between layers of fiberglass, the team adds PVC foam cores of varying densities. Where a section of the hull carries more structural load, a denser core is used. Where the load is lighter, a less dense core keeps weight down. The result is a laminate schedule that is engineered precisely for the forces each part of the boat will face — not a one-size-fits-all approach.

“You’ll see here we actually have three, four different colors — so it changes depending where that mass load is. That acts like a backbone to the structure.”
— Alain Raas, Global Brand Director, Aquila

Uniquely, Aquila also incorporates stainless steel and G-plates directly into the mold at this stage — glassing and foaming over them so they become fully integrated into the structure. Rather than bolting hardware through a hull with a nut on the far side, Aquila owners simply tap into a pre-installed, fully encapsulated plate. It is cleaner, stronger, and a clear example of the reverse-engineering mindset that comes from building boats with real-world boating experience in mind.

Vacuum Infusion: The Process That Changes Everything

With the fiberglass and core materials in place, the laminate is prepared for vacuum infusion — the process that gives the structure its true strength. Green protective matting goes down first, followed by a network of white tubing, and then a plastic membrane seals the entire surface. Air is evacuated through the tubing, creating a vacuum, and vinyl ester resin is then drawn through — impregnating every layer of material uniformly from the inside out.

The advantage over traditional hand layups is significant. With vacuum infusion, the resin distribution is even controlled, and consistent. There are no dry spots, no excess resin adding unnecessary weight, and no variability between hulls. The result is a lighter, stronger, more uniform laminate — every time.

“Weight and strength control, and then quality control on top of that. The infusion process really allows us to do that.”
— Alain Raas, Global Brand Director, Aquila

Why Vinyl ester Resin? The Material Advantage Explained

Not all resins are equal, and Aquila’s choice of vinyl ester is a deliberate one. There are three main resin types used in boat manufacturing: polyester (the most common), vinyl ester (upper mid-range), and epoxy (top of the line). Aquila uses vinyl ester throughout — a harder material to work with, but one that delivers meaningful benefits for owners.

• Less water absorption — critical below the waterline, where water ingress into the resin or core materials leads to osmosis and blistering over time
• Stronger, stiffer bulkheads — all Aquila bulkheads are vinyl ester resin infused with core materials, with no wood in the laminate
• Performance across the range — from an Aquila sailing catamaran cruising at 8–10 knots to a Molokai running at over 60, the resin system is engineered for the load demands of each model

The decision to use vinyl ester across the entire lineup — not just on high-performance models — is one of the clearest signals of Aquila’s commitment to building boats that last.

One-Shot Hull Infusion: Aquila’s Structural Advantage

Perhaps the most distinctive element of Aquila’s construction method is how they handle the hull and deck. Most catamaran manufacturers infuse each hull separately, then stitch the two hulls together. Aquila does something fundamentally different: thanks to the scale of the Sino Eagle Shipyard, they use a single mold for the entire hull and deck assembly — and vacuum infuse it all in one shot.

That means both hulls and the bridge deck connecting them are infused as a single, continuous structure. The result is similar to a sports car monocoque — a unified shell with no joins or seams to manage, and significantly greater overall rigidity. When the resin-infused bulkheads are then bonded into this structure, the finished hull is exceptionally stiff and strong — a real advantage on the open ocean.

On select high-performance models — the 47 Molokai, the 46 Coupe, and the 70 — the primary aft and foredeck bulkheads are built in carbon fiber, saving further weight while adding even greater rigidity. It is an engineering standard more commonly associated with racing yachts than production catamarans.

“We have a single mold for our hull and deck, and we vacuum infuse the entire hull in one shot — both hulls and the bridge deck. You end up with something like a sports car monocoque.”
— Alain Raas, Global Brand Director, Aquila

After Infusion: From the Mold to the Assembly Line

Once a hull has been infused and fully cured, it is debagged and moved into the prep area — ready to begin its journey down the assembly line. Standing on the underside of a cured 50 Yacht deck gives a revealing look at what comes next: stringers and structural ribs are already visible, deck hatches are formed in place, and cabin layouts are beginning to take shape — all inverted, as is the nature of building upside down.

From here, the bulkhead and stringer system is bonded in, followed by the components that arrived from every department seen in Episodes 1 and 2 — the upholstery from the fabrication shop, the cabinetry from the woodworking floor, the stainless fittings from the fabrication bay. One by one, they come together on the assembly line.

In Episode 4, all of those elements converge — and an Aquila catamaran finally starts to look like the finished boat you’d see on the water. If you’d like to see any of these models up close before then, browse our current Aquila inventory or speak with one of our specialists — we’re happy to walk you through any model in the range.

Explore Aquila Catamarans with The Catamaran Company

As the exclusive distributor of Aquila Sailing Catamarans in North America, Mexico, and the Caribbean, we’re here to help you find the right boat. Whether you’re drawn to the engineering behind a specific model or ready to start a conversation about ownership — our specialists are on hand.

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