VESSEL REVIEW | Wave Crest – Versatile seiner/trawler for extended trips off Ireland’s west coast

Barrack Point Enterprises (BPE), a company formed by two Irish fishing families, has taken delivery of a new fishing vessel built by Mooney Boats. The 27.38-metre (89.83-foot) Wave Crest utilises a design by Danish engineering firm Vestværftet and is equipped to perform either pelagic trawling or demersal fishing via trawling and seining, focusing on species such as herring, mackerel, cod, haddock, and hake.

“The project was commissioned in September 2019 with the aim of designing two new vessels to replace our existing boats that were over 20 years old,” BPE told Baird Maritime. “The brief was to design two vessels that could work for periods of the year as pair trawlers but could also work independently for the other parts of the year, thus maximising the quota available to them at different times of the year and in different fisheries.”

The results of the project were Wave Crest and the earlier Ocean Crest, which was delivered last year to BPE. Both vessels also have similar deck and fishing equipment packages consisting of winches, cranes, fish pumps, net drums, and a movable trawl block arrangement to facilitate seining operations. The deck equipment setup on each vessel is meticulously designed to ensure greater efficiency and safety.

The owner added that, with rising fuel cost now becoming one of the key factors impacting profitability, particular detail was paid to the hull design to maximise fishing operation at the most economical fuel consumption while also providing a safe working platform for the crew. Vestværftet was chosen for the vessel design as its director Ove Kristensen has a long history of designing vessels for the Irish market and therefore understands the requirements for operating off the west coast of Ireland.

Facilitating multiple fishing methods

The brief set forth by BPE included criteria such as a vessel that stayed within the constraints on gross tonnage dictated by licence entitlements; a hull that maximises fuel efficiency for more economical operations and a lower carbon footprint; a greater carrying capacity to reduce the number of trips needed to satisfy quotas; a stable and safe working platform for the crew even under adverse weather conditions off the west coast of Ireland; and the ability to incorporate three different fishing methods (pelagic pair trawling, Danish seining/flyshooting, and single boat trawling) in one vessel (and to easily switch among the three) to maximise opportunities.

“The vessel was designed with a strong emphasis on reducing emissions and operating costs,” added builder Mooney Boats. “This was achieved through the integration of modern power management solutions that were custom-designed in collaboration with switchboard manufacturers Vest-El. The vessel can operate at both 50 Hz and 60 Hz ‘floating frequencies,’ thus allowing it to function at lower rpms, and this capability significantly reduces fuel consumption and emissions during transit to fishing grounds.”

A newly designed catch management system ensures that the vessel delivers premium-grade quality products efficiently to the market. This was in fulfilment of the owner’s requirement for state-of-the-art technology to ensure catch preservation while adhering to tonnage and size restrictions.

The vessel was also required to comply with Bureau Veritas class rules and Irish flag marine regulations to ensure it met all necessary safety, design, and operational standards. Mooney Boats remarked that this requirement added complexity to the design and build process, in turn necessitating rigorous adherence to international maritime standards and ensuring the vessel's certification and safe operation.

Able to manoeuvre efficiently in varying sea conditions, the vessel can support extended-duration fishing trips while prioritising crew safety and comfort. Equipped with advanced navigation and communication systems, the vessel can operate effectively in harsh maritime environments. These technologies ensure precise positioning for optimal fishing, enhance operational safety by improving situational awareness, and enable real-time monitoring of fishing activities.

The propulsion system includes an ABC 6DZC main engine, a Nogva Heimdal propeller and gear arrangement, a harbour generator and an auxiliary engine from Volvo Penta, and a Stamford shaft generator. The propulsion setup was designed to maximise efficiency and reduce emissions with the aid of state-of-the-art components that ensure reliable and sustainable operations. The integration of advanced power management solutions meanwhile helps in reducing running costs and environmental impact.

For pelagic fish handling, the vessel relies on an RSW system that provides temperature control and a bespoke whitefish sorting and handling system for rapid processing of catch.

“One of the significant challenges faced by our design team was the incorporation of equipment for three different types of fishing within a vessel of a registered length under 25 metres (82 feet),” added Mooney Boats. “This integration required innovative design solutions and the implementation of digital software restrictors in the catch management system to prevent reels and lines from snagging on deck equipment while in different fishing configuration modes. This ensures seamless operations and maximises the efficiency and safety of fishing activities.”

Optimal onboard layout for greater safety and efficiency

The build process also focused on maximising onboard space and efficiency. The collaborative design efforts between BPE’s owners the Sheehy and McHugh families and Mooney Boats utilised advanced 2D and 3D design technologies to strategically place equipment and optimise space. Mooney Boats said this innovative approach allowed the owners to virtually walk through the vessel using augmented reality goggles, thus ensuring every aspect of the vessel was carefully planned and executed to meet their requirements.

“Another obstacle involved integrating equipment for pelagic, whitefish, and seining fishing operations within the constraints of a vessel under 25 metres in registered length,” Mooney Boats told Baird Maritime. “This required careful space optimisation to ensure efficient use of onboard areas designated for different fishing modes.”

The builders’ fabricators and carpenters also undertook the task of creating custom-made fittings and furniture tailored to maximise utilisation of onboard space. In the builder’s view, this bespoke approach helped in optimising the vessel's layout and in enhancing operational efficiency.

“Designing and constructing Wave Crest provided us with valuable insights that will shape our approach to future vessel projects,” remarked Mooney Boats. “One key lesson learned was the critical importance of early integration of advanced power management systems. Our experience with implementing dual-frequency capability highlighted significant benefits in terms of fuel efficiency and emissions reduction, and we believe this learning will guide our prioritisation of energy-saving technologies in future builds, hence aligning with stringent environmental standards and owner expectations for sustainable operation.”

Collaboration among stakeholders – including the Sheehy and McHugh families, Mooney Boats, and Vestværftet – and clear communication ensured that design specifications, operational requirements, and regulatory compliance were meticulously addressed throughout the project. This collaborative approach is now being adopted by Mooney Boats to enhance efficiency and minimise delays in future builds.

Wave Crest’s main area of operation encompasses the surrounding waters of Ireland. When targeting different fisheries, the vessel operates in French and Spanish waters during the summer months and the English Channel and the west coast of Scotland and Norway in the winter. With the variety of areas being fished and sometimes long transits to alternate fishing grounds, fuel efficiency once again became a key consideration in the vessel’s operation. Depending of the time of the year and the fishery being targeted, the daily duties of the vessel can alternate between the three different fisheries.

“With ever rising fuel costs, the new vessel should help offset the costs by being more efficient in catch rates and also more economical in fuel consumption,” said BPE. “The old vessels were also designed for one fishery predominantly, whereas the new vessels allow us to target other fisheries as well and take advantage of quotas that are available to us but were previously unused.”

Wave Crest replaces Carmona, thus filling BPE’s need for a modern, efficient, and environment- friendly fishing vessel. The newbuild adequately addresses operational inefficiencies and high running costs associated with older vessels while delivering a better quality catch.