The fiberglass boat industry is a large industry internationally. Since World War II, the international fiberglass boat industry has had a huge market, just like sea vessels. The development of fiberglass boats and high-speed boats has been even faster, with annual sales almost on par with sea vessels.

1. Compared to developed countries, China's fiberglass sightseeing boat industry is relatively weak, with significant gaps in both output and technology. Before the 1970s, China mainly produced fiberglass rowing boats and motorized pleasure boats for use in artificial lakes in parks. To avoid pollution, most used batteries as a power source. In the late 1970s, to meet the needs of the tourism industry, more refined motorized pleasure boats were produced and put into use in places like West Lake and Guilin. Since the reform and opening up, China's fiberglass yacht industry has developed rapidly. Starting in the 1980s, China's fiberglass boat industry entered a new era. Some shipyards in coastal areas, through introducing advanced foreign technologies, processing supplied materials, and joint ventures, began producing various fiberglass boats, and sightseeing yachts in particular have gradually entered social life. In 1979, Guangdong Dongguan Shipyard took the lead in cooperating with Hong Kong businessmen to produce fiberglass yachts. Later, Guangdong Xinzhongguo Shipyard, Guangzhou Nanhai Shipyard, Changzhou Fiberglass Shipyard, Suzhou Fiberglass Shipyard, Jiangxi Jiangxin Shipyard, Xiamen Fishing Vessel Repair Yard, Wuxi Ship Repair Yard, and other units successively cooperated with foreign businesses, building household yachts according to European and American requirements using new materials and small mechanical equipment such as spray painting, achieving certain results. In September 1981, China's first luxury yacht factory, Jiang Hui Yacht Factory, was established and completed its first 32-foot luxury yacht in April of the following year, which was sold to the United States. Entering the 1990s, the number of manufacturers specializing in fiberglass in China increased rapidly, and the level of design and manufacturing also improved significantly. According to incomplete statistics, there are currently more than 200 manufacturers, research institutes, and universities in China engaged in the research, design, manufacturing, repair, and teaching of fiberglass boats, including 150 manufacturing plants. In 2000, China's annual production capacity of fiberglass boats was approximately 7,000-8,000, and more than 100 models of fiberglass boats of various sizes have been built, the largest being a GRP minesweeper with a total length of nearly 39 meters; the representative of high-speed water jet boats is the 982 border patrol boat, of which more than 200 have been built; fishing boats are represented by the 24-meter ocean fishing boats built in large quantities in the mid-to-late 1980s, most of which were sent to the South Pacific for deep-sea fishing operations. In 1999, China successfully developed its first pair of 33-meter large fiberglass fishing boats, creating a new scene for the further development, application, and industrialization of China's fiberglass fishing boats; a typical yacht is a 52-foot (16-meter) luxury yacht; in addition to the more than several nearly 23-meter sidewall hovercrafts that have been produced, a larger 160-passenger and 200-passenger twin-hull sidewall hovercraft was completed at the end of 1995. In addition, a large number of workboats and lifeboats (including fully enclosed fire-resistant lifeboats) have been produced. Starting in 1992, the Guangdong region launched a boom in the development of fiberglass high-speed boats, successively developing 20-100 passenger single-hull high-speed boats. In 1995, 160-passenger and 225-passenger high-speed catamaran hovercrafts were also built, and a catamaran motor sailboat was developed in cooperation with France. Currently, four have been exported to France and one to the United States. Recently, hydrofoil boats with speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour are being developed.

2. In the late 1980s, the development of FRP raw materials in China was relatively rapid. Not only could epoxy wax and isophthalic polyester resin be produced in large quantities, but the development of better-performing isophthalic polyester resin also began; not only could various fiberglass reinforced materials be produced, but the development of high-performance fibers such as carbon fiber and Kevlar fiber also began; in fiberglass reinforced materials, not only could various types of fiberglass cloth be produced in large quantities, but the development of chopped fiber felt and surface felt also began.

Starting in the mid-1980s, the technological transformation and technological introduction work in China's FRP industry progressed rapidly. Advanced FRP raw material production technologies and equipment, as well as FRP boat manufacturing technologies and equipment, were successively introduced from countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Norway, Sweden, and Japan, which played a significant role in improving the technological level and production scale of China's FRP boat industry, changing the backward appearance of raw material production equipment and processes. The types, specifications, and output can basically meet the needs of ordinary domestic ships.

3. The establishment of the legal system for the fiberglass boat industry in Dalian, China, is gradually advancing. China currently has more than 150 international standards, published standards, and professional standards for GRF/GRP, the vast majority of which were formulated or revised after 1980. These include basic standards for raw materials, standard performance and quality testing methods, and shipbuilding processes and testing standards, and a standard system for the GRP/FRP industry has been basically established. Most of these standards refer to corresponding international standards and standards of advanced countries and are formulated in accordance with China's national conditions. They have a certain degree of advancement and scientific nature. With the rapid development of China's FRP shipbuilding industry, relevant departments, referring to the GRF/FRP ship construction and classification standards of ABS, LR, NK, BV, and PC, and based on the appraisal tests conducted on the basic mechanical properties, wet strength, and durability strength of typical raw materials used in China's GRF/FRP ships, have compiled and issued regulatory documents such as "Fiber Reinforced Plastic Ship Construction Standards," "Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic Ocean Fishing Vessel Construction Standards," "Small Boat Classification and Construction Standards," "High-Speed Vessel Safety Technical Rules," and "High-Speed Vessel Classification and Construction Rules," laying a legal foundation for the development of fiberglass boat inspection services.

In recent years, with the rapid rise of China's tourism industry, the development of high-speed railways and highways, and the proposal of high-speed water transport, the demand for fiberglass boats in tourism, transportation, port engineering, fire rescue, patrol and anti-smuggling, fishing, flood control and disaster relief, and environmental protection has become increasingly strong. Relevant Chinese departments have proposed to stop building wooden fishing boats and gradually replace the nearly 400,000 existing wooden fishing boats with fiberglass fishing boats within 3-5 years. The Chinese fiberglass boat industry has broad prospects for development.