If you’re out and about on the north coast of the Island this coming Tuesday / Wednesday, you might notice a large hovercraft travelling at far slower speeds than usual.
Griffon Hoverwork factory at the Duver, Bembridge Harbour will be delivering its final hovercraft hull and it’s that hull you’ll see being transported by Blade Runner Shipping Ltd’s self-powered barge.
The AP1-88-400 is being built for the Canadian Coastguard and the largest construction currently being undertaken by the Company.
The hull will make its way to Griffon Hoverwork’s main site at Merlin Quay, Woolston to be fitted out for trials.
Island factory closing its doors
It is the end of a manufacturing era on the Isle of Wight, but Griffon Hoverwork is keeping an expert presence on the Island in the Hovertravel engineering support section at Ryde.
Concentrating all manufacturing into the main site in Woolston has allowed the Company to compete effectively in the global hovercraft market. The new business won has meant that the size of the permanent workforce across the organisation has increased from 120 to 190 over the past 2 years.
