Hamble Point Marina Returns to Boat Building Roots with a Sustainable Approach

MDL’s Hamble Point Marina, the UK’s central south coast hub of boating, is returning to its boat building roots with new tenants complementing existing onsite marine manufacturing businesses.

Fairey Marine called Hamble Point home for many years, launching the iconic Fairey Huntress in 1959. Cutting edge at the time, the Huntress is often thought of as the starting point for modern motor cruisers, with many planing powerboats and RIBs able to trace their DNA back to that initial constant deadrise hull form.

With such a history, it’s fitting that as boat building and marine technology moves into a new era with sustainability at its heart, it’s being driven by forward thinking businesses based at Hamble Point Marina where so much of it all began.

Innovative electric boat manufacturer RS Electric Boats has recently moved from its base in Romsey, which it shares with sister company RS Sailing, to a larger manufacturing facility at Hamble Point Marina.

Alex Newton-Southon, CEO – Design & Technologies at RS Electric Boats, comments: “With the Pulse 63 being production ready, we need manufacturing space that will support the volume of boats we need to deliver. There is phenomenal demand from marine users wishing to switch to more environmentally sound ways to get out on the water and enjoy their boating, as well as from marine-based companies looking to meet sustainability targets.

“MDL and its Hamble Point Marina is an ideal solution for us. Not just the space available, but the location close to Southampton Water, giving us easy access to the Solent as well as MDL’s Ocean Village Marina, where we’ll be conducting boat tests and sea trails.

“We’re delighted to have a base with MDL, its commitment to the environment and dedication to promoting greener boating through investment in electric charging technologies and initiatives such as the Green Tech Boat Show makes this move an even more positive one for us.”

RS Electric Boats joins established tenant ePropulsion UK, the UK & Ireland Distributor for ePropulsion, in the growing line-up of businesses dedicated to sustainable boating at the marina. Steve Bruce, managing director at ePropulsion UK, has been operating from Hamble Point since starting in the industry in 2005, originally in offices in Saltmakers House but now based in the Old Harbour Office.

“When the opportunity came up to locate ourselves in the Old Harbour Office I could not think of a more visible and distinctive location on the Hamble,” Steve says. “Hamble Point Marina is ideal due to its easy access from London with easy access to the river and the Solent for boat testing and every possible service and facility we might require available onsite. Our facility at Hamble Point Marina is for displaying and demonstrating our marine electric drive trains. 

“The facility is available to anyone promoting our zero emission propulsion solutions and is ideal for product launches, open days, training etc. For some time now we have been actively encouraging other like-minded companies with an interest in transitioning to electric propulsion to locate themselves at Hamble Point Marina and we are now starting to see this happen.

“MDL is also keen to support the transition to zero emission propulsion with dedicated charging facilities and we are now putting together a schedule to convert the existing workboat fleet with electric propulsion.”

Supporting its international expansion plans, Dromeus Yachts has also moved its head office from Turkey to Hamble Point, leasing 424sq feet of office space in the marina’s Saltmakers House.

“We want to build Dromeas to be a worldwide brand, thus it made sense to move the head office from Turkey to the UK, especially Southampton, because of the size of the industry here, to widen opportunities within the industry,” says Vicky Farrow, international sales and marketing director at Dromeas Yachts.

“Hamble Point Marina offers a large community of marine businesses so making the move to the marina was the right opportunity to be in proximity with others and grow our dealer network. The marina offers good connections to the UK marine industry which is now a huge focus of our operations as a UK company and office.”

But it’s not just the boat builders who have recognised the strategic benefits of being based at Hamble Point Marina. Attracting businesses from across all sectors of the marine industry, Hamble Point Marina also hosts multiple new yacht dealerships as well as second-hand boat brokerages and boat clubs.

Besides its 230 first class berths, Hamble Point Marina is a marine service centre, offering excellent maintenance and repair facilities. As well as a wide, easy access slipway with ample space for car parking and trailer storage, there is a 75-ton boat hoist and a 4-ton crane for masts and engines.

The marina also offers an extensive range of shore-side facilities. In addition to the Ketch Rigger bar and restaurant, Hamble Point in total boasts over 50 tenants providing a wide range of marine services from sail making to electrical work, making the marina a true hub for the marine industry and the ideal place for boat builders to base their manufacturing facilities as well as boat owners to buy, sell, berth and maintain their boats.

A very limited number of sales units are still available for companies interested in modern office space with adjacent hardstanding and/or berthing. For further information contact Tim Mayer via t.mayer@mdlmarinas.co.uk.