VESSEL REVIEW | San Little Glory & Ika Ma – Australian-designed fish farm workboats for New Zealand operators

Hobart, Australia-based naval architecture firm Southern Ocean Solutions (SOS) has confirmed the delivery of two new aquaculture support catamaran workboats in a series to two separate owners in New Zealand.

SOS said the design is extremely flexible with one vessel being used for net cleaning duties and the other being configured with a 12-tonne SWL A-frame for heavy works routinely shifting 10-tonne mooring blocks for heavy works operations.

The vessels were designed to be flexible and efficient and to be able to perform a multitude of tasks safely and effectively. A catamaran hull form was adopted to allow for higher steaming speeds in rougher weather, while minimising fuel consumption and emissions.

The vessels were constructed in Vietnam by Z189 Shipyard. Assisting in the design work was Alsen Maritime of China.

Delivered to New Zealand King Salmon, Ika Ma is equipped with a Hiab crane that gives full coverage of the working deck, mainly for launching and recovery of cleaning units. The vessel is designed to allow operation of two cleaning units concurrently, and comfortable crew accommodation is also provided for extended duty periods.

Sanford’s San Little Glory is meanwhile equipped with a large Palfinger Marine crane that allows for the stowage of concrete mooring blocks as well as a 12-tonne SWL A-frame for the deployment and recovery of 10-tonne mooring blocks, plus accompanying chains and lines.

Although equipped differently for serving different functions, the vessels have the same general build and dimensions with each having all-steel construction, an LOA of 18 metres, a beam of 10 metres, and a depth of 3.5 metres.

The propulsion systems on each vessel are also identical and consist of two Cummins 855 298kW main diesel engines, Cummins main and house generators, and D-I gearboxes. The propulsion delivers a top speed of 10.5 knots, a cruising speed of 9.5 knots, and a bollard pull of 8.5 tonnes, making the catamarans ideal for light towing work.

The workboats also have fuel transfer pumps for bunkering of other vessels.

The electronics suites include radars, depth sounders, and plotters from Simrad and ICOM radios. The liveaboard accommodations for two crewmembers on each workboat also include a mess and a small galley.

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