Essex: Fair sailing for county's boat firms

Last year, business in the boating leisure industry was worth more than £304 million in Essex and East Anglia - an increase of nearly 16 per cent on 2003.

Nationally, the figure was almost £2 billion.

Last year saw the sixth annual growth. Since 1999 business has risen by 57 per cent, according to the British Marine Federation.

Marinas and suppliers attribute the rise to the growth in disposable income.

Tony Scales, who runs Autolec Marine, a nautical electronic business in Brightlingsea, said: "I've got more business than I can handle. I have just turned down a big order from a man who came straight from the London Boat Show with about £5,000 of radar, direction finders and other electronic gear. I hadn't the time to handle it."

At 61, he has been in the marine business all his life. He said: "I've seen some changes, but none like the boom in business over the past eight to ten years. Everybody seems to have a boat these days."

He also does work for a marina at Walton and he said: "Marinas have grown at a vast rate. They have been expanding to accommodate the demand for berths and this has had business repercussions throughout the local supply and components industry."

David Foster, who runs Mistley Marine boatyard, confirmed the trend.

He does dredging and piling work at marinas and he said: "I keep busy. The amount of dredging and piling at marinas has grown as boat owners have become more lazy and as more elderly people have bought boats. You used to row out to your boat moored away from the shore. Now people want to just step on board from a jetty. That means marinas have had to use people like me more and more."

Exports are also booming. Of last year's income, £839m was earned from overseas - 42 per cent of the total.

The British Marine Federation is forecasting further growth this year, with the £2 billion being breached for the first time.

Published Thursday January 20, 2005

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