Island Life Magazine Ltd April/May 2009 | Page 120

LOCAL BUSINESS

a look at our local Island businesses

business-news

life

Compiled by Martin Potter

DO YOU HAVE A
BUSINESS STORY?
CALL MARTIN ON 07976 797455

120

new local
businesses...

Briddlesford Cafe
Briddlesford Lodge Farm Shop are on the
brink of opening a new Cafe/Restaurant with
a slight twist. A sectioned off area will be
used for educational purposes teaching Island
pupils about where their food comes from.
See page 128 for more details.

Largest Hovercraft ever to
be exported from the UK
Pictured, the latest addition to the Canadian
Coast Guard’s hovercraft fleet undergoing trials
off the Isle of Wight. Mamilossa (Abenakis
Indian for “he who goes from water to the land”)
weighs in at 75 tonnes, was built at St Helens
on the Island by the world’s leading hovercraft
manufacturer, Hoverwork Limited involving over
100 skilled workers. Mamilossa will be based in
the St Lawrence Estuary where she will be utilised
for the deployment of buoys and ice breaking
duties. She is fitted with a very large crane with a
reach exceeding 12 metres
for lifting buoys up to 5.6
tonnes and can exceed 60
mph.
The Canadian Coast
Guard has been a faithful
customer to the Isle of
Wight Hovercraft Industry
since the 1960s when they
took delivery of their
first five tonne SRN5
manufactured by Saunders
Roe at Cowes.
This latest order will be
the 7th designed and built at Hoverwork for the
Canadians.
Canadian Coast Guard Project Manager
Frank Jess said: “It has been a pleasure working
alongside Hoverwork Ltd, management team and
staff during the construction of the hovercraft. I
am confident that the craft will be a valuable asset
to the Canadian Coast Guard.”
Despite the current global economic crisis,
this is a multi-million pound contract, of which
£4m went into the Isle of Wight’s economy.
Hoverwork are very optimistic about worldwide
orders for their craft which will retain their skilled
workforce.

SPECIFICATION:
Length: 28.5m
Width: 12m
Maximum loaded weight:
75 tonnes
Speed: 45 knots maximum 40 knots
full loaded
Range: 660 n.m.
Engines: – four Caterpillar C32
twelve cylinder diesels each
producing up to 1125HP.
Engines are electronically controlled
and meet Tier 2 emission standards.

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