The Ceynor Foundation Ltd., of the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources has manufactured boats and crafts valued at Rs.64 Million this year. This included 4 flat bottom boats, 3 Multi Day boats, 9 one day boats of 30 ft. each 2 pressure crafts, 4 Dingi boats, and 3 Thappams. One of the Multi day boats was exported to Mauritiu, reported development.lk.

Solas Marine which is a subsidiary of the Dubai based Solas Marine Services group recently delivered a 19-metre trawler with a 29-tonne fish hold, on-board ice machine and deck crane for a customer in the Comoros Islands. The boat, costing 80 million rupees, took six months to build at the yard located on the banks of the Hamilton Canal at Wattala.

Solas Marine Services Group of Dubai purchased the Blue Star Marine Company and making a huge investment on machinery and cranes commenced its boat building operations in April this year. It builds boats mainly for the Indian Navy and the Indian coast guard. It also builds pleasure craft for the Maldives.

The Colombo Dockyard also built several types of aluminium-hulled fast attack craft with speeds of around 50 knots for the Sri Lanka navy in its war against 'Sea Tiger' naval wing of the Tamil Tiger terrorists.

Meanwhile, the proposed Sri Lanka-Indian Ferry Services are also expected to bring more business to boat building yards in Sri Lanka. An Indian official, Mr. Jitendra Kumar Dadoo, the Administrator of the Union Territories of Lakshadweep, India, who recently visited the Colombo Dockyard, said the emerging requirement for fast passenger ferries could be an opportunity for Sri Lanka's Colombo Dockyard to build more vessels.