UK: Macduff Shipyards Limited has completed their largest fishing vessel to date, 'Endeavour IV', for Peter Lovie from Whitehills.
Mr Lovie had previously owned and operated the 'Endeavour III' out of Kinlochbervie, mainly fishing west coast and northern waters. 'Endeavour III' was also built by the Macduff yard, and was sold to Iceland last year. Although 'Endeavour III' had a full length shelter, sweep winches and net tracks, taking the catch on board was with a Gilson gantry over the starboard side forward.
During initial discussions on the planning of the new vessel, Mr Lovie decided that a stern ramp trawler would best serve the type of fishing he would pursue in the future. Consideration was also given to the possibility of building a larger vessel, but in the final analysis it was decided to keep below the 24-metre length between perpendiculars limit.
In 2001 Mr Lovie's brother Mark had built the 'Venture II' BF326 with Macduff Shipyards. This vessel was 28 metres in overall length with 9.5-metre beam, but again the catch was taken on board over the side.
Mr Lovie chose the same engine for his new vessel as on 'Venture II', so initial design work began on a stern ramp trawler based on the hull design of 'Venture II', but it soon became apparent that more beam was required. At the onset of fuel price increases consideration had to be given to overall efficiency of the design, so the services of a technical institute were employed to investigate what improvements could be made to the known hull form and characteristics of 'Venture II'.
One controversial result of this was a further increase on beam to enable the underwater lines to be finer. The final design incorporated an extended and re-modeled bulbous bow, improvements in water flow to the propeller, and re-designed run-out aft. It was also decided that fitting a steering nozzle with a flap rudder without reducing the diameter of the propeller from that fitted on 'Venture II' would also improve efficiency also incorporating a slower running propeller.
Working within the constraints of the length limitation and incorporating the machinery package specified was quite a challenge, but the additional time and effort in the early design stages has paid dividends. The existing 'Venture II' model was a useful base point for the Yard to work from to achieve the correct criteria. Design of the vessel has been directed by Macduff Shipyards Limited working in conjunction with Macduff Ship Design Limited who produced the kit drawings and cutting data, and carried out the stability work.
The final stability has allowed for the inclusion of full icing conditions, and not the half icing normally allowed in a vessel of this length. The hull form is round bilge with large bulbous bow, flared stem, with full beam carried right to transom stern.
Fabrication of the hull was sub-contacted to Richards Dry Dock and Engineering in Great Yarmouth, UK, and on completion the hull was towed north to Macduff for machinery installation and fitting out.
The layout below main deck from forward, fore peak containing FW tank, SW ballast tank, chain locker and bow thruster, fishroom with double bottom oil fuel tanks under, engine room with four wing oil fuel tanks, and aft peak made up of a FW tank on the centerline and a SW ballast tank either side.
The upper shelter deck has net tracks running from the stern ramps forward to the sweepline winches, which are fitted as far forward as possible in staggered formation. On the starboard side of the tracks two split trawl winches are fitted about amidships, with the accommodation air treatment machinery housed in a compartment forward of that, and forward again a two berth cabin.
On the port side of the tracks there is a split trawl winch fitted about amidships, and just forward of that is the trunk to the fish room for the discharging hatch, and forward again a compartment for spare fishing gear.
The upper shelter deck is fully covered to the aft side of the wheelhouse, and from there aft the side decks are covered clear of the net tracks.
A large aluminium alloy wheelhouse is fitted over this with large windows aft viewing the trawl deck.
The main engine is an MAK 8M20 with an output of 1060kw at 900RPM, arranged with box cooling. The engine is driving through a Mekanord gearbox type 580HS with 6.06:1 reduction ratio, and Helseth sterngear type 4TX750/240-3000 HSD to a 3000mm diameter four-blade CP propeller in a Smed Larsen steering nozzle complete with flap rudder.
The steering gear is a Scan Steering type MT5000 complete with a carrier bearing. The steering gear is situated on the main deck underneath the ramp area, which also houses the emergency steering system. The Mekanord gearbox is also fitted with three clutched pto units for the hydraulic pumps for deck machinery. The gearbox has a standby lube oil pump, and the tailshaft is fitted with a shaft brake.
Control of engine, gearbox and CP propeller is achieved with a three-station Radamec control system in the wheelhouse. A FloScan fuel monitor is also fitted. The main generator sets are two Scania DI12 62EMS 10.60G units, each producing 260kW, with box cooling. A Perkins Sabre 5TWGM harbour set is also fitted, producing 100kW, with box cooling.
The Scania and Perkins generators were supplied by Beta Marine Limited. The machinery space is also equipped with an RWO type SKIT/S-DEB oily water separator system. The fuel system is equipped with a fuel transfer pump so that fuel may be pumped from tank to tank for ballast and trimming purposes. Duplicate CC Jensen oil fuel filter/separators are also fitted.
The main engine air start system is served by duplicate air compressors and air reservoirs. The bilge/deckwash/water ballast transfer systems are served by Azcue motor driven pumps. The 'tweendeck fish handling area is fitted with four sumps each fitted with an Azcue vertical vortex motor driven pump. A Thrustmaster hydraulic bow thruster is operated off the deck machinery hydraulics , and has three station controls in the wheelhouse.
