VESSEL REVIEW | Vseslav – Russian owner adds durable seiner/trawler to fleet

A new seiner/trawler has been delivered to Russian fishing company Marfish by compatriot shipyard SIRMF.

The Project 174610 vessel Vseslav will be operated by Marfish to catch herring, sprat, cod, and flounder year-round in ice-free waters, though operation is still possible even under mild winter conditions. It will be equipped for stern, pelagic, and bottom trawling.

The vessel has a length of 26.62 metres, a beam of 8.6 metres, a draught of 3.8 metres, a displacement of 547 tonnes, a deadweight of 251, and a fish hold with a total capacity of 200 cubic metres. The hull and the lower superstructure are made of steel while the upper superstructure including the wheelhouse and the mast are made of aluminium to reduce weight and to keep the vessel's centre of gravity as low as possible.

Power is provided by a diesel engine with a rated output of 746 kW at 1,600 rpm driving a 2,700mm controllable-pitch propeller to enable the vessel to reach a speed of 11.5 knots or stay out at sea for seven days. For trawling, the vessel will maintain an economical 4.5 knots.

The propulsion setup also includes a bow thruster, a 119kW shaft generator, and two 119kW diesel generators. A high degree of automation means the engine room does not require a crewmember to be always present.

The fishing equipment comes under a complete package specifically developed by AS Scan for the Project 174610 vessels. These include trawls, winches, drums, a 150kW gearbox-driven hydraulic pump, a 75kW backup electric pump, and a trawl computer. AS Scan also supplied the steering gear and the anchor and mooring winches.

The fish handling equipment includes pumps, water separators, five RSW tanks, and a central enlarged tank that may also be used to store frozen catch. The cargo tanks are made from a combination of polyurethane foam of varying densities while the metal surfaces have polyurea as insulating material. The resulting insulation is durable and capable of significantly minimising heat loss through the hull.

Accommodations are available for up to 10 people, though the vessel will nominally be operated by a crew of six. The crew have access to a single cabin, three double cabins, a triple cabin, a toilet, a shower, a laundry area, and a mess with seating for eight.

Design work on Vseslav was carried out by local naval architects Adomat in compliance to the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping's rules covering R1 and R2 navigation areas.

Some of our readers have expressed disquiet at our publication of reviews and articles describing new vessels from Russia. We at Baird Maritime can understand and sympathise with those views. However, despite the behaviour of the country's leaders, we believe that the maritime world needs to learn of the latest developments in vessel design and construction there.

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