Plain sailing with four-boat Chinese deal

Picton business Naiad is ploughing its way through the economic downturn, with the sale of four $1million pilot boats to China among its success stories.

Naiad owner and designer Steve Schmidt said the deal with the Port of Dalian began with a visit from the Chinese pilots two years ago to see the Ports of Auckland pilot boat. It finished when the boats hit the water a month ago.

"It takes a long time to sell a boat in China," he said.

But it was worth the wait.

"China is the big, developing market. It has amazing opportunities. You just have to be patient."

The boats carry personnel and goods to ships and have to be able to operate in any weather.

Naiad did not gain from the "bubble" when everyone was doing well, but was protected from the economic downturn as well, with port companies, coastguards and tourism operators still buying its boats, Mr Schmidt said.

Naiad could be building 30 boats at any time around the world, all of them rigid-hull inflatables designed in his Picton office. It has just completed three 10-metre tourist boats in France.

New projects include a 12.6m boat for Fullers in Auckland and a series of 8m boats being built on Rhode Island for the United States Coastguard.

The company's boat builder in Brisbane had sold more V8 Yamaha motors than anyone else in Australia during the past year, having built seven "quad" setups for tourism operators – 14m boats with four outboard motors on the back.

Mr Schmidt and his wife, Jenny, set up Naiad three decades ago, wanting a business that would let them return to Picton from Australia, where he had studied and worked in design.

They had worked to ensure every customer got what they wanted from their boat.

The company has boat builders throughout New Zealand, together with licensed builders in the US, China, France and Australia, with more than 70 per cent of new Naiads built overseas.

In the Picton office, two computer aided design engineers turn Mr Schmidt's designs into hi-tech kitsets that are emailed to Naiad builders around the world.

Mr Schmidt flies to the US on Sunday to check progress on the Rhode Island boats.

"It's a diesel jet and has to reach 40 knots (75kmh) with a considerable load on, so it pushed us to our limits really," he said.

- The Marlborough Express

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