VESSEL REVIEW | Danny Finn – French-owned stern trawler built for sailings off southwestern Ireland

A new stern trawler was recently delivered to La Houle, a fishing company based in France’s Brittany region.

Built to operate as a twin-rig trawler, Danny Finn featured significant improvements over the older vessels in the La Houle fleet, particularly a larger size and the ability to withstand harsh weather and sea conditions during the winter months.

The new trawler has an LOA of 24.95 metres, a beam of 7.5 metres, a draught of 5.4 metres, and a gross tonnage of 257. Propulsive power is provided by a Caterpillar 634kW main engine while Caterpillar generators supply electricity for all other onboard systems including the refrigeration equipment and the deck machinery. A Bopp bow thruster provides the vessel with added manoeuvrability when navigating within port waters.

Some of the deck equipment such as the winches, the capstan, and the net drums were provided as part of a package from Bopp. The remainder of the fishing equipment includes Le Drezen and Swan Net Gundry trawl gear and two trawl doors supplied by Thyborøn.

Catch handling is done on a sheltered deck that provides protection from the elements. A positive cold hold and a freezer hold are also fitted.

The trawler’s accommodation spaces include crew cabins, a laundry room, a galley, and a mess. All the  accommodation spaces have heated parquet floors and wifi connectivity.

Danny Finn was designed and built by Vestværftet in western Denmark and it has since replaced a 30-year-old vessel in the La Houle fleet. The new trawler’s area of operations stretches out to the Dingle Peninsula and the Porcupine Bank off southwestern Ireland’s Atlantic coast, where it will be used to catch monkfish and langoustine. Construction is also underway at Vestværftet on a near-identical sister vessel, which is scheduled for delivery to the same owners in October 2023.

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