BUSINESS is booming at Greenock’s James Watt Dock Marina as it expands and generates new work.

Another 22 berths are to be added to the facility, which will result in a new part-time job.

It’s hoped the expansion will encourage more people to use the marina.

It was opened in 2011 by urban regeneration company Riverside Inverclyde and is managed by Blue Sea Marinas.

Craig Latimer, a director of Blue Sea, spoke enthusiastically about the number of berths going up to 142, depending on the size of the boats which go in.

He said: “We will add another a part-time position over the course of the season.

“We’ll have more customers, so we’ll need to service them.

“We hope that, by increasing the number of boats, we’ll increase the opportunities for other businesses to come and work at James Watt Dock.” Mr Latimer said the successful marina was experiencing continually increasing demand.

He said: “We opened with 60 berths in 2011 and the marina has grown quite quickly.

“We now have a different mix of boats, and we need to expand to take account of that. We have a number of larger boats and also a large number of smaller ones, so we need to configure the marina for everyone.” Mr Latimer added: “All in all it’s very positive. We have expanded every year since we opened.

“We’re now quite close to our maximum number of berths.

“We could go to about 150 or 155 by the end of 2017, but, if the market demands it, we could probably keep expanding a little bit more.” The marina employs 10 staff and was the base for last summer’s Commonwealth Games flotilla, when 250 boats of all shapes and sizes sailed up the Clyde from Greenock to Glasgow, watched by large crowds at Customhouse Quay and along the waterfront.