New Quantus on order from Westcon

MV Quantus Ltd and Peter & J Johnstone Ltd have placed an order for a new 75m pelagic trawler with Westcon Yards AS. The vessel, like its three predecessors, is being designed by Salt Ship Design.

All four new-build vessels for the partnership have been commissioned from Norwegian yards, but this is the first time that Westcon has been awarded the construction contract. The first was built in 1988, and the current 65.48m Quantus PD 379 was built at Eidsvik shipyard in 2008.

The owners’ main focus during the design process has been to develop an efficient, modern vessel with low emissions, providing a safe working platform and high fish quality for skipper Ian Buchan, his sons Mark and Stuart Buchan, and their crew. The new vessel will be considerably bigger than her predecessor, with a beam of 15.8m.

A computer-generated image of the new 75m vessel.

“For the Norwegian yard industry, it is encouraging to see another pelagic vessel contracted in Norway,” said Westcon. There are now two Salt Ship-designed pelagic vessels under construction at Westcon, with the Norwegian vessel Trønderbas ordered last year.

This story was taken from the latest issue of Fishing News. For more up-to-date and in-depth reports on the UK and Irish commercial fishing sector, subscribe to Fishing News here or buy the latest single issue for just £3.30 here.

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