The boats are designed and assembled into kit form on the premises at Girraween, which is nowhere near any water.

However, this does not affect their quality or popularity.

The pieces of the boat are so specific and the accompanying instruction manual so extensive that the majority of customers have no problems putting the whole jigsaw of the boat together.

Girraween have some 80 kits 'on the shelf' for both power and sailing boats, ranging in size from 5.3m to 22m. The Irish contract is for a boat manufacturer on the West Coast and involves Girraween supplying kits for them to build multi-purpose boats to be used for general cargo, fishing and diving duties.

This has involved breaking new ground to develop a boat that will conform to commercial standards, including new EU commercial regulations.

Martin Keepfer, International Trade Advisor with UK Trade & Investment said, 'From landlocked Bedfordshire to Ireland and beyond, there is a huge potential for Girraween's kit form boats, not least in the affected countries in the aftermath of the tsunami.

Working with the client under our flagship 'Passport Programme' and with the help of our commercial teams in our Overseas Posts we are making good headway.'

MJ Information No: 20740