VESSEL REVIEW | Euroclydon – Scottish-designed vivier crabber delivered to Devon owner

Macduff Ship Design of Scotland has confirmed the recent completion and delivery of a new crab fishing vessel to owner Stuart MacDougall of Devon-based fishing company Euroclydon. The newbuild, which is also named Euroclydon, is the second Macduff-designed crab fishing vessel built for the same owner in the space of only three years.

Euroclydon features many similarities to MacDougall’s first vessel, Levanter, with a similar arrangement throughout. However, with increased length, beam, and depth, the newer vessel provides noticeably more space all around to enhance crew comfort, seakeeping, and fishing activity.

The hull up to the main deck along with the aft accommodation casing and the forward section of the shelter is built from Lloyd’s grade A shipbuilding plate. The mid part of the shelter where fishing activities take place, along with the wheelhouse and mast, is built from marine grade aluminium to help reduce the vessel’s displacement. The vessel also features a double chine hull form, a transom stern, and a modern bow designed to cut cleanly through the sea with less energy, leading to a reduction in fuel consumption and emissions along with increased crew comfort.

The layout below the main deck features two three-person cabins aft followed by a large engine room that extends forward over the top of the vivier tank. The tank is positioned amidships with its trunk up to the main deck fitted through the engine room. Forward of the engine room, a bait store is situated and finally a water tank is fitted forward of the collision bulkhead in the bow.

Above the deck features the accommodation area aft with galley/mess to starboard, WC aft and a two-berth skipper’s cabin and dry locker/laundry to port. Forward of this is the large fully sheltered working deck where the pots are brought on board, catch emptied into the vivier tank, and pots stacked up until ready to shoot again. The shelter is protected by a large hydraulically powered hatch.

The hauler is mounted forward and leads to a block fitted at the end of a telescopic boom that extends outboard of the hull to keep the pots clear of the side when hauling up. Forward at the main deck, a weather-tight bulkhead is fitted, and a store space is arranged with shelving for storage and the anchor chain locker.

Above the shelter deck, a large open deck space provides for generous stowage of pots when moving gear to the grounds.

There are also safety features built into the hull such as recessed foot/hand holds beneath the port and starboard fixed side ladders extending below the waterline and permanent guardrails around the wheelhouse perimeter. In addition, the owner’s preference for a raised shooting table is arranged in place of a low deck-level side opening to keep the crew safe within the shelter.

Euroclydon is fitted with a large vivier tank with a capacity of over 40,000 litres of seawater. The tank is subdivided with FRP grating partitions so the catch can be separated into different species/grades. The tank is serviced by two large electrically-powered circulation pumps supplied by Bombas Azcue. The layout allows one pump to be used in service and one on standby. Overflow pipes are arranged port and starboard above the waterline so the crew and skipper can visibly see when the pumps are in operation.

The propulsion setup is based around a large, 2,000mm diameter four-bladed propeller powered by a Mitsubishi S6B3 320kW engine with a connecting Masson Marine W6000 gearbox. It was witnessed during trials that the vessel achieved a good speed for its length and that the propulsion package performed smoothly with little vibration.

A hydraulic system features a 1.5-tonne hauler provided by Britannia Engineering, a telescopic boom for the hauling block and a large hauling hatch supplied by the yard, a KT120 bow thruster supplied by Kort Propulsion, and an MFB6 landing crane provided by Thistle Marine. Hydraulic power is provided by two large 37.5kW motors that can be powered separately, or simultaneously, by either of the vessel’s generator sets providing complete redundancy.