Built in China, these very versatile fish farm service vessels are operating in southern Tasmanian waters for Australia's leading Atlantic Salmon producer, Tassal. Built on solid, all-steel catamaran hulls, the boats are powerful, stable and very versatile.
Each one cruises at 9.5 knots and has a bollard pull of 12 tonnes. Their decks are well-equipped with cranes and winches and have more than adequate fuel capacity to provide bunkering services.
Southern Ocean Solutions (SOS) managed the whole project and ensured the owners acquired vessels that can perform many roles in that often exposed operating area.
"Maverick and her sister Viper were tailored to the needs of our client," SOS told Baird Maritime. "Our client needed vessels that were strong, capable, economical to operate, and able to perform a wide range of functions within the aquaculture industry."
The designer added that a catamaran hull form for a multicat-type vessel is an innovation that makes the vessel very stable and yet does not require high levels of installed power to make good speeds under most conditions.
"The design was relatively complex as there were a lot of client design ideas to include, and as the vessels were classed there were some additional design factors to be considered as well. These custom designs always take longer than one might think, and as a lesson learned, we think that more time in design, perhaps with a larger stakeholder group, may have resulted in even better vessels."
Recent market inquiries have also led SOS to identify a growing trend towards vessels that generate low emissions.
"The evolution of hybrid and fully electric vessels is certainly a strong trend at the moment and that seems unlikely to change. We are getting a lot of inquiries for hybrid vessels in particular and as battery technology improves, these are becoming more and more viable."
The designer said it had "a very good 2021" with a number of projects going forward after having been postponed in 2020 in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. The current year also appears to be very strong as many aquaculture businesses are focusing on sustainable growth and also replacing ageing marine assets with more capable and efficient designs.
The company believes that the focus will remain on sustainability in coming years with customer preferences gravitating towards improved efficiency, lower costs, and reduced environmental emissions.
"This fits very well with the growth plans for our business," SOS told Baird Maritime. "We like to work with our clients to tailor a package that is exactly what they want."
Providing tailor-made solutions for customers is in anticipation of the need for fleet renewal, which SOS expects will be an increasingly important factor in the coming years.
"Many vessels in our national workboat fleet are in need of replacement, both for improved efficiency and improved working practices, but also because routine repair costs in Australia are a significant factor in maintaining older vessels. In many cases, we can build a new vessel for the same cost as of docking an old one."
