Damen wins order for twin rig fishing trawler

NOVEMBER 21, 2017 — Family owned Dutch fishing company Ekofish Group has placed an order for a new twin rig fishing trawler with Damen Maaskant Shipyards Stellendam.

The design and on-board equipment will all be in line with Ekofish’s long dedication to sustainable fishing methods.

The design of the 32 m long x 9.6 m beam vessel has been a collaboration between Ekofish, Damen Maaskant Shipyards Stellendam and Vripack naval architects.

“We got together in March 2017 to design the various design parameters,” says Ekofish’s Louwe de Boer. “We wanted something innovative; in that respect we are not scared of change.”

While Vripack is well-known for its yacht design portfolio, the Ekofish vessel represents will be its first twin-rigger fishing vessel design.

“We were invited to look at the creation for the trawler with a fresh pair of eyes; approaching the project from a non-conventional angle from our position of a holistic design and naval architecture studio,” says Ierring Faber, Naval Architect at Vripack. “In the next phase of the project, the valuable input from Maaskant Shipyards made the design develop into a feasible fish trawler while still doing justice to the innovative concept design that we started off with.”

Damen Maaskant Shipyards Stellendam aimed to optimize the efficiency of the vessel’s systems wherever possible. One example: the design of the power plant.

“The vessel will have diesel-electric propulsion, using three generators lined up to a DC-Bus,” says Eric Moerkerk, Manager Operations at the shipyard. “This will reduce the peak load demands that are characteristic of the operational profile of fishing vessels.”

Additionally, the power plant will be supplemented by a battery pack.

“The batteries can be used for short-term tasks at sea, and also while in harbor – removing the need to use the main engines,” says Moerkerk. “They can be charged in various ways; during periods of engine overcapacity or even capturing the energy created when the winches are paying out. These techniques are ground-breaking for the fisheries industry.”

Construction of the hull, taking place in Poland, is due to begin in the first quarter of next year, Outfitting at Damen Maaskant Shipyards Stellendam is set for completion in first quarter 2019.