Landlocked Milton might not be the place you would expect to find a thriving boat-building business.
However, after more than a decade, McLay Boats continues to boom.
Steve McLay owns the company with his wife Wendy.
Between them they have 20 staff and have increased distribution to 11 dealers in New Zealand and five in Australia, with another three on the cards across the Tasman.
''You have got to keep working at it. You can't relax,'' McLay said.
Ironic, really, when you consider that rest and relaxation are the primary reasons why he sells about 200 of his aluminium boats annually.
Being based in Milton has many advantages, McLay explained.
Nearby Port Chalmers offers easy access to shipping his boats overseas, overheads are considerably lower than in a main centre and he has a steady workforce whose skills are a ''very critical part of the business''.
''These sort of areas have a huge amount going for them in terms of manufacturing,'' McLay said.
Then there's the necessity of testing his products.
Milton's location means he can drive 20km up the road to Henley and launch into the Waipori River, which gives him access to the sea.
This fortuitous combination of salt water (to test the predominantly sea-bound product) and fresh water (to flush it out again) is a bonus.
McLay Boats offer six series of boats, with 30 models in total, ranging from $25,000 for small fishing vessels to $200,000 for spacious, cabin cruisers.
Custom jobs are also welcomed and McLay recalled a recently sold boat that was more ''a high-spec caravan on water'': furnished with five berths, a flush toilet, shower and oven, it literally did come with the kitchen sink.
Along with attracting buyers through attending annual boat shows and magazine advertisements, word-of-mouth referrals and repeat customers made up the bulk of the company's clients.
One such return purchaser is Jim Murdoch, who is the proud owner of his second McLay Boat, a 7m 680 McLay Cruiser Hardtop, which is powered by a 255hp Mercury Verado.
Named Shear Bliss (a play on words after his 26-year occupation as a contractor for Potae Shearing), the boat is his retirement mate.
He spends as much time on the ocean fishing as the weather and tides allow.
The boat comfortably sleeps two and makes life easier for its owner, with an electric winch for pulling craypots, an electric anchor, plus a depth sounder and GPS.
''McLay boats are very well-finished,'' Murdoch said.
''It gets along very nicely.''
With some of his friends still working, finding a weekday crew can sometimes be tricky, but come the weekend, there is no shortage of able seamen willing to join him fishing out of Taieri Mouth or on a trip to Moeraki.
