Boat news: April 2017

A number of boats have been refurbished and renamed in recent weeks following a change in ownership, as summarised by David Linkie.

Ardent towed to Kilkeel for renewal

Above: Ardent approaches Kilkeel last week at the end of a three-day tow by Resilient, while the local trawler New Venture acts as a stern anchor.

The former Peterhead-based 26.7m steel-hulled pair-seiner, Ardent II INS 127, arrived at Kilkeel last week at the end of a three-day tow.

Since the accommodation area and wheelhouse were extensively damaged by fire (Fishing News, 25 August), Ardent II was re-registered PD 127 before being bought by DR Diesel, who will now carry out an extensive refurbishment project on the boat at Kilkeel.

Ardent II was the second of a series of the renowned Campbeltown 87 class of vessel to be built at the Trench Point shipyard in 1986, for Hopeman skipper Hamish McPherson. For the next 30 years, the family-owned pair-seiner fished from Peterhead, with Hamish McPherson’s son Scott McPherson subsequently taking over as skipper.

Scott McPherson bought another Campbeltown 87, Advance WY 77, towards the end of last year, which, now renamed Ardent INS 127, is again pair-seining with Arcturus INS 167.

Breizh Arvor II for Kinsale

Kinsale skipper Mark Hurley recently started fishing with the 22.5m twin-rig trawler Breizh Arvor II.

Breizh Arvor II arrives at Kinsale after being re-engined at Kilkeel and upgraded for freezing prawns at sea.

Since the former French vessel was purchased from France last year, Breizh Arvor II has been refurbished by DR Diesel at Kilkeel in line with the owners’ requirements. This work included installing a new Baudouin main engine that drives a 2,200mm four-blade CP propeller through a Masson gearbox. Facilities for freezing prawns at sea were also installed, including a blast-freezing room and freezer hold.

Jackson Trawls of Peterhead supplied the vessel’s twin-rig trawls, the performance of which is monitored by a new Notus Trawl system.

The third ex-French trawler to be bought by Mark Hurley, together with his father John and brother Des, following Men Scoedec C 386 in 2006, and Dever ar Mor C 425 in 2013, Brezih Arvor II (meaning shore of Brittany) LO 767148 was built in 1991 at the Chantiers de Bretagne Sud yard in Belz.

DR Diesel upgrade Maranello for Union Hall

Union Hall brothers and skippers, Jim and Nicholas Swanton, took delivery of the 24m twin-rig prawn-freezer trawler Maranello C 91 towards the end of last month on completion of an extensive refurbishment project by DR Diesel at Kilkeel.

Since arriving at Kilkeel last year, DR Diesel, together with several other Kilkeel service companies, have modernised the steel-hulled trawler in line with the owner’s requirements.

After the original ABC main engine was removed at the same time as the engineroom was stripped out, work started to install a new Baudouin 12 M26.2 propulsion unit and change the gearbox reduction to 6:1 from 4:1 to maximise the efficiency of the new centreline setup. Two new 106kW electrical generators were also fitted in the engineroom, driven from the gearbox and a new Mitsubishi 6D16 auxiliary engine, to power the freezing plant fitted by Boyle Air.

The bilge, deck wash and fire systems were completely replaced with 316 stainless steel, while three new bronze FP pumps were fitted for these systems. A CO² fire extinguisher system was also installed. When all the new machinery installations were completed, the engineroom was fully repainted.

Similar largescale work was also undertaken in the fishroom. After being stripped back to the hull sides, new insulation lined with fibreglass was fitted, to create a 10t freezer hold for storing frozen at sea prawns. A 700kg blast-freezer compartment was also fabricated on the main deck, adjacent to a bespoke stainless steel grading and packaging area.

Maranello arrives at Union Hall after being extensively refurbished at Kilkeel by DR Diesel. (Photograph courtesy of Derek Hosie)

A new Baudouin main engine and Mistubishi auxiliary were installed in Maranello’s fully-renewed engineroom.

A stainless steel prawn selection, weighing and packaging area is arranged next to a 700kg blast-freezer room on the main deck.

Starboard quarter view of Maranello leaving Kilkeel.

A third winch was fitted behind the wheelhouse and all hydraulics were piped up and tested by Gordon Ryan Engineering. The galley was completely refitted by G Smyth Boats. Freeboard aft on the working deck was raised, incorporating a secure box for the middle clump.

The wheelhouse electronics installation and main electrical systems work was carried out by Belco Marine. Ian Newell Engineering assisted with the fabrication work, and manufactured and fitted a new landing crane and winch. The stainless steel catch-processing equipment manufactured by DR Diesel was installed after the vessel had been UHP water-blasted and painted in Kilkeel.

Using Swan Net-Gundry twin-rig trawls, skippers Jim and Nicolas Swanton intend working 10-12 day trips when fishing prawns on grounds to the northwest and southeast of Co Cork, including the Porcupine and Jones’s Bank. Maranello replaces the brothers’ previous boat, the 17.8m trawler L’Ours Des Mers S 532, which they sold last year to Solas Na Mara Ltd, Castletownbere.

Maranello was built at the Chantiers Piriou shipyard in 1989, as Claudies-Soraya LR 726662, later being renamed Prince Charles in 1995 when fishing out of Cherbourg. In 2010, Prince Charles was bought by Armement Eouzan, when the trawler was renamed Maranello PL 726662 in keeping with the company’s tradition of naming boats either after Ferrari cars or Formula 1 racing circuits.