AWARDS 2024 | Best Medium Seiner – Polarbris – Karstensens Skibsvaerft

Obviously and evidently, Denmark’s Karstensens Skibsværft has the high quality end of the European fishing vessel building market very much under its control. Polarbris is yet another example of the elegant, yacht–like outcome of the collaboration of a fishing company with Karstensens.

As usual, the ship is very versatile, seaworthy, safe and comfortable while remaining very economical in terms of fuel efficiency and highly efficient in the catching and processing departments.

"Polarbris is a very special vessel, being designed to optimise [her] owners' seasonal quota portfolio," Kent Damgaard, Yard Director at Karstensens Skibsværft, told Baird Maritime.

"She is designed for catching, processing and freezing snow crabs. In addition to this, she has conventional H&G freezing facilities for whitefish, caught by traditional seine net fishing with 6,000-metre ropes.

"Her 43-metre [hull packs] all this equipment in addition to [an] azimuth[ing] retractable forward thruster and a full-size battery package."

For Damgaard, packing all that equipment into a 43- by 11.5-metre platform was a major challenge.

"In our modest opinion, it worked out very well, not least thanks to very proactive owners and [a] highly skilled workforce, who all [were] given a say."

Damgaard believes quota availability and fishing patterns have an impact on fishing vessel design, though sustainability, the green transition and future fuels will also become considerations.

For a list of the 2024 "Best Of" award winners, please click here.