VESSEL REVIEW | Yakari II – Compact multi-role fishing boat for Northern France

French shipbuilder Alu Acier Service Marine (AASM) recently handed over a new compact fishing vessel to owner Jean-Joseph Delaby of Cayeux-sur-Mer on France’s northern coast. Yakari II was designed by local naval architecture Mer et Design in fulfilment of the owner’s requirement for a boat capable of various fishing methods.

“The owner wanted a boat that can be used for trawling of scallops and prawns; catching lobsters, whelk and cuttlefish via traps; and fishing of sea bass and pollock,” AASM told Baird Maritime. “Mer et Design developed a new hull that would suit the owner’s requirements, and our work yielded a bespoke boat.”

Capable of trawling, potting and live transport

The newbuild has all-aluminium construction, a length of 10 metres (33 feet), a beam of 4.4 metres (14 feet), a depth of 1.64 metres (5.38 feet), a displacement of 23 tonnes, and a gross tonnage of 12. The propulsion arrangement consists of a Doosan L126TI diesel engine fed by two 1,500-litre (330-gallon) tanks. The engine’s rated output of 340 kW (450 hp) enables it to propel the boat to a top speed of 13 knots and a cruising speed of 10 knots.

“The trawling equipment includes a gantry with two furlers and two winches. The potting equipment includes a net winder and a door for deploying traps. On deck is a large tank for the transport of live catch, thus keeping it as fresh as possible.”

Built for extended-duration fishing trips

The vessel also boasts an electronics suite with a Furuno radar, a GPS, a depth sounder, VHF radios, a camera, a sonar, and smoke and water level detectors. Also fitted are a bilge pump and a fixed fire suppression system. The accommodation spaces include two belowdeck berths and a mess with a microwave oven and a refrigerator in the wheelhouse.

“The new boat has been in service since September last year,” the builder told Baird Maritime. “Feedback from the owner has been very positive.”

Yakari II will be homeported in Le Treport in Normandy. The vessel will be operated primarily within the French sector of the English Channel.