New Boat of the Year: Demersal

This award celebrates innovation in the build and facilities of a new demersal fishing vessel that entered service in the UK or Irish fleets in 2019. All new demersal boats featured in Fishing News in 2019 will be included automatically.

Fruitful Bough PD 109

Built to a new round bilge hull design, the 22.3m twin-rig prawn trawler Fruitful Bough is powered by a Caterpillar C18 ACERT main engine driving a 2400mm-diameter propeller through a Masson Marine 9.916:1 reduction gearbox. Auxiliary power comes from a Cummins QSL9 engine driving the vessel’s main hydraulic system and Cummins 6B gensets.

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Good Hope FR 891

With the capability of twin-rig trawling for whitefish or prawns, as well as being equally suitable for either single-boat trawling or pair-seining, the 26.5m Good Hope is designed to deliver maximum levels of fishing versatility. Two sets of split net drums are positioned on the quarter under two single units atop the shelterdeck.

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Tilly WD 3

Of 26.05m LOA and 6.75m, Tilly has the distinction of being the first new beam trawler to be built for Ireland. A Mitsubishi S6R2-T2MPTK main engine of 324kW @ 1800rpm drives a Promarin 2700mm-diameter propeller through a Masson Marine gearbox of 10.594:1 reduction ratio. Pneumatically operated, the hydraulically driven 6-drum trawl winch is suitable for single purchase operation.

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Virtuous FR 253

The 24m twin-rig prawn trawler Virtuous has a totally new hull form, including a high-profile, parallel-sided bulbous bow, and main deck layout designed to accommodate a new concept of aft bagging arrangement. Catches are worked up on the portside of the main deck on which three split net drums are mounted forward.

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Westro PD 20

The 21.2m Caterpillar C18 ACERT-engined twin-rig prawn trawler Westro features a selection of new ideas designed to enhance working efficiency and catch quality. These include all three trawl warps running under the floor of a wider wheelhouse, a catch-bagging arm and an evaporator-type fishroom refrigeration system.

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