VESSEL REVIEW | Havørna – Compact fish farm workboat enters service with Norway’s Lerøy Aurora

Hukkelberg Boats has delivered a new multi-purpose workboat to Norwegian aquaculture company Lerøy Aurora.

The vessel is the third Hukkelberg newbuild to be delivered to Lerøy Aurora after the 7.99-metre near-identical sister boats Havella and Havsula. The owners wanted a third vessel that was slightly larger and that offered greater propulsive power, improved seakeeping ability, and enhanced safety features for the occupants.

The newbuild, named Havørna ("Sea Eagle"), utilises a highly versatile boat design that was originally developed by Hukkelberg to be adaptable to a diverse range of roles including maritime security, dive and inspection support, search and rescue, ROV support, and medical transport. However, Lerøy Aurora worked closely with the builder to come up with a vessel that was more optimised for fish farm support operations, which also required the ability to withstand the harsh conditions that are typical in the offshore aquaculture industry of northern Norway.

The 10.35- by 3.55-metre Havørna has an aluminium hull and an FRP superstructure to guarantee a long service life even after daily use in demanding environments, while a draught of only 0.8 metres and a low freeboard ensure better accessibility in more restricted coastal areas. There is onboard space for one crewmember and up to seven passengers, making the boat suitable as a high-speed fish farm shuttle, transferring personnel to and from offshore fish pens. All cabin seats were supplied by Recaro.

Power is provided by twin Yanmar 6LPA inboard diesel engines that each produce 234 kW. The engines drive a pair of HamiltonJet HJ274 waterjets via ZF 68 gearboxes to enable the boat to reach a maximum speed of 35 knots and a cruising speed of 28 knots.

The boat is aided in its daily operations by a comprehensive electronics suite that includes radar, plotters, AIS, and cameras from Garmin, radios and GMDSS from Jotron and Sailor, and a JRC GPS. Also, the wheelhouse boasts a "smart bridge" layout and improved ergonomics to enable just one individual to operate the vessel effectively.

A set of 110Ah batteries provides electrical power for all onboard systems, which also include an array of searchlights and other external lights to allow for continued personnel transfers at the fish farm even during periods of reduced visibility.

A foam and spray-coated polyurethane wrap-around fender provides some protection when alongside fish pens or other vessels. In the event of emergencies, the boat is equipped with Skuteng and Fireboy firefighting systems and a life raft from Viking Life-Saving Equipment.

Havørna was handed over to Lerøy Aurora in December 2020. It has since been operated in the owner's facilities in the waters off Kvaløya island off the western coast of Tromsø municipality.

For more news, features and vessel reviews as part of this month's Fishing and Aquaculture Week, please click here.