A TYNESIDE shipbuilder who set up a business on the Usk building canal boats is planning to run his own fleet of holiday boats.

Peter Wylie, owner of Newport Narrowboats, has started work on his seventh boat after opening his works at Crindau a year ago.

He now plans to produce two boats at a time - selling one to the private market and keeping the other to build up a fleet of hire vessels across the UK.

Peter, 39, said: "It's the next step for the business. This will mean we're self-sufficient and totally independent of finding orders for boats. We'll still build boats for customers, and with the profit from that we will grow the hire fleet."

Boats are in Peter's blood: his family were heavily involved in the ship industry of the North East and Peter first trained in ship engines, before moving on to oil rig construction and ship repairs.

There are no canals in the North East and Peter doesn't have a narrow boat of his own, or any interest in touring the waterways.

He said: "I just love boats and everything about them. The lads here can be proud of something that they've built themselves."

Peter first came to Gwent as a metalwork contractor six years ago and decided to return when he realised that there were no steel hull narrowboat builders in the region.

He said: "My ex girlfriend and I went to look at a second hand canal boat in Birmingham. When he told us how much it was I told him I could build a new one myself for less, so that's what I set out to do.

"I built the first one on my own and it nearly broke my heart. I was sitting in a unit for months thinking: what am I doing? It was a lot of work but I stuck with it because I believed in it.

"I knew little about it. It was a very steep learning curve. I went round all the yards looking at how narrow boats were made before drawing up my own plans and pinning them to the sitting room wall."

After starting out with an investment of £20,000 with a business partner, Peter has since built up a team of five - who cover the mechanics, welding and fitting of the boats. Newport council helped with a grant of £1,700 to cover some rent and tools.

A 55ft narrowboat, fully fitted, will take them between three and four months to put together and will cost the customer around £50,000.

With the business growing and orders coming in, Peter is in the middle of buying his partner's share of the business.

His next dream is that the Newport and Torfaen councils secure money to fully open the canal.

He said: "It could be a massive attraction for the area. People will come from all over the world to look at it.

"I've offered Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal Trust a boat at cost price. Whatever they make off selling it, they can put into refurbishing a lock.

"Hopefully my boats will spread Newport's name across the UK. I'm not fazed by the competition from other builders. I just want more of my boats on the water and people talking about them."