VESSEL REVIEW | Hulda Bjornsdottir – Iceland's Thorbjorn acquires new demersal twin-rig trawler

Armon Shipyard of Spain recently handed over a new trawler to Icelandic fishing company Thorbjörn.

Named after Thorbjörn's co-founder and mother of current company Managing Director Gunnar Tómasson, the Skipasyn-designed Hulda Björnsdóttir will be operated primarily as a twin-rig trawler focusing on cod and other demersal fish species in the harsh offshore waters of the North Atlantic west of Iceland.

Propulsion arrangement configured for greater efficiency

The newbuild has a steel hull, a length of 58 metres (190 feet), a moulded beam of 13.6 metres (44.6 feet), a draught of 6.9 metres (23 feet), a depth of 10.8 metres (35.4 feet), a deadweight of 797, a fishroom that can house 720 tubs of 1,000 litres (220 gallons) each, and space for 15 crewmembers. The relatively shallow draught permits access to a wide range of fishing grounds while still ensuring stability necessary for navigating in rough seas.

A 2,380kW (3,190hp) MAN 7L27/38 low-speed main engine drives a 5,000mm three-bladed controllable-pitch propeller via a Reintjes WAF1735 gearbox to deliver a bollard pull of 61 tonnes, a top speed of 15 knots, and a service speed of 13 knots.

The high bollard pull delivers ideal performance for twin-rig operations, while the small diameter of the main propeller can deliver the same thrust at a lower rpm, thus ensuring improved fuel economy.

The hull's design provides ample stability for twin-rig operations in rough seas, while the flared bow and optimised underwater profile reduce resistance and enhance manoeuvrability.

Electrical power is meanwhile supplied by a Siemens 1,300kW shaft generator and 500kW and 250kW generators provided by Scania. These guarantee redundancy and an additional layer of safety during voyages of extended duration.

The wheelhouse has been laid out to provide improved all-round visibility. In addition to permitting safer navigation during days of clear weather, the wheelhouse arrangement

Full processing and handling suite

Although initially used only for trawling, the vessel also boasts processing and freezing facilities such as a Climafrio icemaker with a capacity of 20 tonnes per day and a semi-automated tub handling system.

Crane Solutions supplied the remotely controlled crane used for handling the tubs in the fishroom.

The deck layout incorporates open space for net storage and maintenance, with non-slip coatings and LED lighting allowing for 24-hour operations. Because the layout facilitates the efficient deployment and retrieval of gear, the time the crew spend outside on deck is reduced, which then minimises their exposure to the elements.

The deck equipment provided by Ibercisa includes an array of winches, net drums, an A-frame and a discharging crane while Guerra supplied the deck crane. The discharging crane is for rapid unloading of catch when quayside, allowing for faster turnarounds, while the A-frame is for gear deployment and recovery.

Scantrol supplied the winch monitoring system.

The crew spaces include a mess, a galley, single and double cabins, a gym, and a cinema.

The Bureau Veritas-classed Hulda Björnsdóttir is the newest vessel to join Thorbjörn's current active fleet, which now consists exclusively of trawlers after the company placed its remaining longlining vessels in lay-up.

She is also the first newbuild vessel to be acquired by Thorbjörn in nearly 50 years.