Hamble Point underpins roots with RS Electric Boats and Dromeas Yachts

MDL Marinas’ Hamble Point Marina is returning to its boat building roots with new tenants complementing existing onsite marine manufacturing businesses.

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.

“With the Pulse 63 being production ready, we need manufacturing space that will support the volume of boats we need to deliver,” says Alex Newton-Southon, CEO – design & technologies at RS Electric Boats. “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.

“Our facility at Hamble Point Marina is for displaying and demonstrating our marine electric drive trains,” he says.

“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, Dromeas 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.

“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.”

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.