VESSEL REVIEW | Hybrid 18 – Compact fish farm workboat built for cold-weather use
Norway's Moen Marin recently took delivery of the first of two fish farm support workboats in a series ordered by the company from Jianglong Shipbuilding of China in 2023.
The newbuild boasts a catamaran design, steel and aluminium construction, an LOA of 20.95 metres (68.73 feet), a beam of 12 metres (39 feet), a depth of 5.1 metres (17 feet), a hybrid propulsion system, and single-person cabin accommodation for up to six crewmembers.
The design of the vessel was undertaken by Norwegian naval architecture firm Marin Design.
Durability for extreme conditions
The vessel was built to be able to withstand low temperatures, making it suitable for operation in remote fish farm sites found in higher latitudes such as those in Norway. Jianglong Shipbuilding said the boat is ideal for use in fisheries and other high-intensity operations in complex waters, providing favourable protection for fish farming.
The aft deck has a total area of approximately 150 square metres (1,600 square feet) and will be capable of transporting assorted payloads of up to 80 tons. For loading and unloading of cargo, the workboat relies on two Palfinger Marine PK15002 fully rotating cranes with a 21.5-metre (70.5-foot) reach.
The other deck equipment consists of a winch, towing pins, a stern roller, a shark jaw, and a mooring lock from SHM. Some of the equipment can be controlled remotely via joystick from the wheelhouse.
The wheelhouse itself has reverse-angled windscreens to help reduce glare when seen from the helm station. These also enable the crew to minimise dependence on wipers when navigating in inclement weather.
Electric propulsion optimised for daily heavy use
The electric propulsion system consisting of two Danfoss Editron 575kW permanent magnet motors, two Helseth propellers and a 1,128kWh battery pack can deliver a bollard pull of approximately 20 tons and a top speed of 11 knots when not carrying cargo.
Two PMH 74kW bow thrusters will meanwhile provide additional lateral manoeuvrability for berthing, unberthing, and transiting through restrictive waters.
The navigation and communication electronics include a radar, an autopilot and an echosounder from Furuno, an Olex chartplotter, and a Sailor VHF radio.
Power for the onboard systems is supplied by Caterpillar C18 and C9.3 generators that produce 500 ekW and 310 ekW, respectively.
