Aquaculture

VESSEL REVIEW | San Little Glory & Ika Ma – Australian-designed fish farm workboats for New Zealand operators

Baird Maritime

Hobart, Australia-based naval architecture firm Southern Ocean Solutions (SOS) has confirmed the delivery of two new aquaculture support catamaran workboats in a series to two separate owners in New Zealand.

SOS said the design is extremely flexible with one vessel being used for net cleaning duties and the other being configured with a 12-tonne SWL A-frame for heavy works routinely shifting 10-tonne mooring blocks for heavy works operations.

San Little Glory (Photo: Southern Ocean Solutions)

The vessels were designed to be flexible and efficient and to be able to perform a multitude of tasks safely and effectively. A catamaran hull form was adopted to allow for higher steaming speeds in rougher weather, while minimising fuel consumption and emissions.

The vessels were constructed in Vietnam by Z189 Shipyard. Assisting in the design work was Alsen Maritime of China.

Ika Ma (Photo: Southern Ocean Solutions)

Delivered to New Zealand King Salmon, Ika Ma is equipped with a Hiab crane that gives full coverage of the working deck, mainly for launching and recovery of cleaning units. The vessel is designed to allow operation of two cleaning units concurrently, and comfortable crew accommodation is also provided for extended duty periods.

Sanford's San Little Glory is meanwhile equipped with a large Palfinger Marine crane that allows for the stowage of concrete mooring blocks as well as a 12-tonne SWL A-frame for the deployment and recovery of 10-tonne mooring blocks, plus accompanying chains and lines.

Ika Ma (Photo: New Zealand King Salmon)

Although equipped differently for serving different functions, the vessels have the same general build and dimensions with each having all-steel construction, an LOA of 18 metres, a beam of 10 metres, and a depth of 3.5 metres.

The propulsion systems on each vessel are also identical and consist of two Cummins 855 298kW main diesel engines, Cummins main and house generators, and D-I gearboxes. The propulsion delivers a top speed of 10.5 knots, a cruising speed of 9.5 knots, and a bollard pull of 8.5 tonnes, making the catamarans ideal for light towing work.

The workboats also have fuel transfer pumps for bunkering of other vessels.

The electronics suites include radars, depth sounders, and plotters from Simrad and ICOM radios. The liveaboard accommodations for two crewmembers on each workboat also include a mess and a small galley.

Ika Ma (Photo: Southern Ocean Solutions)
San Little Glory & Ika Ma
SPECIFICATIONS
Type of vessel:Fish farm workboats
Classification:Maritime New Zealand
Flag:New Zealand
Owners:Sanford, New Zealand; New Zealand King Salmon
Designers:Southern Ocean Solutions, Australia; Alsen Maritime, China
Builder:Z189 Shipyard, Vietnam
Hull construction material:Steel
Superstructure construction material:Steel
Deck construction material:Steel
Length overall:18 metres
Beam:10 metres
Depth:3.5 metres
Main engines:2 x Cummins 855, each 298 kW
Gearboxes:2 x D-I
Generators:Cummins
Maximum speed:10.5 knots
Cruising speed:9.5 knots
Bollard pull:8.5 tonnes
Radar:Simrad
Depth sounder:Simrad
Radios:ICOM
Plotter:Simrad
Cranes:Hiab; Palfinger Marine
Type of fuel:Diesel
Accommodation:Mess; galley
Crew:2