VESSEL REVIEW | Patagon XI – Large Chilean wellboat with 3,000-cubic-metre transport capacity

Chilean fish transport company Patagonia Wellboat recently added a new live transport vessel to its fleet.

Constructed by Chilean shipyard Asenav, Patagon XI is one of the largest wellboats to be built and operated in Latin America, with an LOA of 79.8 metres, a beam of 17.2 metres, a draught of 6.5 metres, a gross tonnage of 3,950, a summer deadweight of 4,320, and two holds with a total capacity of 3,000 cubic metres to permit the transport of up to 400 tonnes of live salmon. Accommodations are also available for up to 18 crewmembers.

The wellboat is fitted advanced fish loading and unloading systems with desalination plants and movable bulkheads as well as systems for oxygenation and water treatment to better ensure fish health during transport. During loading, the fish are separated from the loaded seawater and placed in either one of the two holds, which already contain seawater in ideal conditions. This system was developed in-house by Asenav.

The treatment systems are fitted with UV reactors and self-cleaning filters to reduce the risk of infections that may occur as the fish are being loaded on board. The systems then discharge clean water following loading and treatment, thus allowing pollution-free operations.

The loading/unloading and treatment systems can also be monitored from the wheelhouse, which also has a split control station and full all-round visibility to enable the crew to directly supervise fish loading and unloading aft of the superstructure. The accommodation spaces meanwhile consist of cabins, a mess, a galley, and a lounge.

The propulsion arrangement includes two 1,750kW electric motors driving fixed-pitch propellers, Yanmar auxiliary engines, four Taiyo 1,425ekW main generators, a 250ekW harbour generator, and two transverse thrusters from Schottel. The propulsion delivers a speed of approximately 12 knots.

Construction of Patagon XI was completed in compliance to American Bureau of Shipping rules.