VESSEL REVIEW | Orca Yka – Chile’s Naviera Orca opts for Norwegian-built live salmon transporter

Chilean operator Naviera Orca has taken delivery of a new wellboat from Norwegian shipbuilder Larsnes Mek Verksted.

The Skipskompetanse-designed Orca Yka was developed with the aim of preserving fish health in support of the Chilean salmon farming industry. The vessel is thus capable of both open and closed transport of harvested fish and smolts but also has many other capacities, including RSW, freshwater production, and freshwater treatments of salmon. An advanced monitoring and logging system is also installed to help track all vital parameters related to fish health.

The new wellboat measures 79.27 by 15 metres and is powered by a Yanmar 6EY33W 2,999kW main engine driving a Finnoy propeller. Two Yanmar 6EY22ALW auxiliary engines are also fitted. The primary role of the auxiliary engines is to provide the power to the electric motors for manoeuvring, and also to power the pumps, the fish treatment equipment, and other essentials for ensuring fish well-being such as oxygen production, CO2 removal, and water circulation.

The vessel will also have space for 13 people and a total live transport capacity of 2,800 cubic metres or up to 400 tonnes of fish.

During open transportation, all water in and out of the vessel can be filtrated and UV treated, and sea lice is filtered out for destruction. An automatic tank cleaning and disinfection system will ensure optimal cleanliness.

The vessel also has several loading and unloading systems and can, in particular, load and unload fish especially gently, using pressure and vacuum systems that do not necessitate the use of fish pumps.

The deck equipment includes a Bergen Hydraulics crane. Also installed are rescue equipment from Viking Norsafe.

Other onboard facilities include crew cabins, a laundry room, and a mess/lounge. The accommodation spaces will enable the crew to operate out at sea for several weeks at a time if needed. Work on the interior spaces was provided by Rovde Møbel and Design.

The vessel's electronics suite includes Furuno X-band and S-band radars, a Simrad autopilot, Sailor radios, and a SART from Jotron. The interior lighting is from Glamox while NorSap supplied the seats in the wheelhouse.

Orca Yka was designed in compliance to DNV class rules and utilises an existing Skipskompetanse wellboat layout that has been configured for Chilean conditions and operations. It is also the ninth in a series of live fish carriers that were developed in cooperation between Skipskompetanse, Norwegian fish transport company Rostein, Larsnes Mek Verksted, and Naviera Orca.

Construction of the hull took place at the Gdansk facilities of Polish shipyard Marine Projects. The vessel itself was completed in Norway.

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