VESSEL REVIEW | Forvikbuen – Mowi Norway acquires compact fish farm support workboat

Aquaculture service provider Mowi Norway has taken delivery of a new workboat designed for fish farm support duties.

Forvikbuen is the final delivery under a framework agreement for seven vessels entered into by Mowi Norway, then known as Nova Sea, in 2022. Nova Sea was acquired by Mowi in 2025 and was subsequently incorporated into Mowi Norway’s northern region.

The agreement was established to replace older vessels with more efficient ones in line with the operator’s vision of sustainable salmon farming.

Forvikbuen is a monohull aluminium vessel with an LOA of 14.9 metres (48.9 feet), a beam of eight metres (26 feet), a summer draught of only 2.6 metres (8.5 feet) to also permit inland navigation, a depth of 3.3 metres (11 feet), a gross tonnage of 87, a 64-square-metre (690-square-foot) working deck capable of carrying 29 tonnes, and a cargo hold with a capacity of 15 cubic metres (530 cubic feet).

Maximised working space within limited hull dimensions

The newbuild utilises a standard fish farm support boat layout with the wheelhouse placed forward to provide as much space as possible for an aft working deck, thus enabling it to carry personnel and various cargo such as nets, diving gear, and equipment for pen maintenance and servicing.

The aft deck has an Amco Veba knuckle boom crane to aid the crew in cargo handling.

The placement of the wheelhouse also ensures unobstructed all-round visibility for the crew, especially when manoeuvring near pens at exposed farm sites. This also enables the bridge crew to directly oversee activities on the aft deck, providing an added margin of safety when loading and offloading personnel and equipment.

The wheelhouse itself features reverse-angled windscreens to reduce glare and to limit use of wipers during periods of inclement weather. A Furuno radar and a searchlight allow for operation under instances of reduced visibility while the other electronics include a class A AIS, a VHF radio, a GMDSS, an autopilot, a magnetic compass, and two multi-function displays.

Hybrid propulsion suitable for sensitive environments

The vessel’s hybrid electric propulsion setup combines 444 kWh of battery capacity, a generator and electric thrusters to provide quiet operations with low emissions, benefiting both the crew on board and the surrounding marine life. The propulsion delivers a speed of nine knots at design draught

The vessel can hold three cubic metres (660 gallons) of fuel oil and 2.7 cubic metres (590 gallons) of freshwater.

Accommodation is available for four crewmembers. Onboard facilities include a changing room, a sanitary space, a shower, and stores.

Space is also available for six lifejackets, a fixed fire suppression system in the battery compartment with outside remote activation, and handheld dry powder extinguishers all throughout.