THE final hovercraft hull has rolled off the production line at Griffon Hoverwork’s factory on the Isle of Wight.
The aluminium hull is now being moved to Griffon’s main site at Merlin Quay, Woolston where it will be fitted out for sea trials next summer.
Delivery of the 27m long craft marks the end of a nearly 50 years of hovercraft manufacturing at Griffon’s factory at the Duver, Bembridge Harbour.
The craft is the fourth the company has built for the Canadian Coastguard.
Griffon said concentrating all its manufacturing in Woolston had allowed the company to compete effectively in the global hovercraft market.
New business has seen the company increase the size of its permanent workforce from 120 to 190 over the past two years.
Griffon is keeping an expert presence on the Isle of Wight in its Hovertravel engineering support section at Ryde.
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