The value of leisure boats imported into Norway during 2005 has risen by almost 50 per cent to NKr 2.26 billion.

In total 13,496 boats were imported, a 17 per cent growth on the previous year.

"We do import expensive boats and it looks like the average boat is getting bigger and bigger," says Erlend Prytz, managing director of trade organisation Norboat.

"During the latest years we've seen an enormous interest in boats and boating. The increase in sales from 2003 to 2005 has reached almost 1200 per cent, and from 1997 imports have gone up by almost 500 per cent in value and 300 per cent in number of boats."

The biggest exporter to Norway is Sweden with NKr 387 million, with Finland in second place at NKr 332 million. Germany comes in third with a total of NKr 315 million.

In the number of boats exported to Norway, Finland is in a steady lead with Poland and Sweden following. The US counts as the biggest export increase to Norway with 200 per cent. Finland, selling mainly smaller boats, exported almost 4,000 boats to Norway during 2005.

Most of the imported boats are built by non-Norwegian companies, but some Norwegian boatbuilders have their factories in low cost countries, such as Skorgenes, which builds family motorcruisers in the Baltic States.

For many years Norway was an almost exclusive motorboat country, but ten years ago interest in sailboats began to take off, and continues to grow every year. During 2005 the import of sailboats increased to 1,220 units at a total value of NKr 420 million, a growth by 36 per cent.

Conversely, the import of larger outboard motorboats over 5.5m (18ft) has gone down by 30 per cent.

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