VESSEL REVIEW | Bountiful – Scottish mussel harvester acquires multi-purpose landing craft

A new landing craft workboat was recently handed over to family-owned Blueshell Mussels of Scotland.

The vessel, which has been named Bountiful, is already operational, supporting Blueshell's mussel harvesting operations in the Shetland Islands.

The vessel was already available in stock at the time the order was placed, allowing the customer to take delivery almost immediately following the signing of the contract. Additional modifications were incorporated on the vessel in Scotland to enable it to better support the owner’s harvesting activities.

Compact yet versatile platform built for heavy duty use

With a length of 21.7 metres (71.2 feet), a beam of 7.5 metres (25 feet), and a gross tonnage of 101, Bountiful has been designed to perform a range of coastal and harbour operations, including transport of both people and equipment. The vessel will often be deployed to islands where it operates in the aquaculture industry or as a lifeline for remote communities.

A draught of only 1.55 metres (5.09 feet) enables the vessel to access remote areas lacking in port infrastructure.

In the aquaculture sector, the workboat will be able to handle large nets and cables and, with its hydraulically operated bow ramp, load and unload harvests. It boasts a 110-square-metre (1,200-square-foot) free deck area capable of handling up to 70 tonnes of equipment plus two knuckle boom cranes from HS.Marine.

Conventional propulsion setup augmented by a shore power connection

The propulsion arrangement consists of two Volvo D13 IMO Tier II-compliant engines that each produce 294 kW (390 hp) at 1,800 rpm. The engines drive two fixed-pitch propellers via ZF W235 gearboxes to deliver a service speed of nine knots.

A Sole 45GTC 36kW diesel generator supplies electrical power for the onboard systems, which include three Icom VHF radios (one handheld), a Francis FR230CP searchlight, and a Raymarine package consisting of a radar, GPS, a plotter and an autopilot.

A shore connection is also available, allowing for reduced reliance on the generator for supplying power for the hotel load while at berth.

A Stat-X fixed system provides fire suppression coverage within the interior spaces, though portable extinguishers have also been provided. Diagonal rubber fendering is wrapped around the hull, which also features recessed side steps allowing access to and from the waterline.

The crew facilities include a settee, a toilet and a pantry, while tank capacities are 21.5 cubic metres (4,730 gallons) for fuel oil and one cubic metre (220 gallons) each for freshwater and wastewater.

Construction of Bountiful was completed in compliance with the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s Workboat Category II standards.