VESSEL REVIEW | Réalt na Farraige – Scottish-built aquaculture support catamaran delivered to Mowi Ireland

Shipbuilding and ship repair company Dales Marine Services of Aberdeen, Scotland, recently delivered a new catamaran workboat slated for operation in Ireland by the local division of Norway-headquartered seafood harvester Mowi.

The aptly named Realt na Farraige ("Star of the Sea") was designed by Marine Design International (MDI) of Glasgow primarily to support activities in the aquaculture sector. Specifically, the new vessel will be used for the transport of the hydraulic, pneumatic, and electrical supplies that are necessary for the operation of the customer's numerous offshore salmon pens.

Mowi Ireland's newest workboat has a length of 18 metres, a beam of eight metres, a draught of 1.6 metres, and a cargo deck with an area of 90 square metres and capacity for 50 tonnes of assorted payloads, or the equivalent total volume of two 20-foot ISO containers. Loading and unloading of cargo at fish pens is done with the aid of a knuckle boom crane with a maximum lifting capacity of 2.4 tonnes.

The vessel is operated by a crew of three. The compact wheelhouse is fitted with large windows and offers excellent visibility of the area all around, especially of the cargo deck where most of the activity occurs. The main deck superstructure area contains a mess with galley, a toilet, and a stores area.

The main engines drive two propellers from Kort Propulsion.

The array of valves was supplied by LK Valves and Controls.

Réalt na Farraige will be operated primarily in the northwest of Ireland but will be available to support activities in other regions of the country if needed.

The newbuild joins two other Mowi-operated 18-metre workboats of similar general layout but with slightly shorter beams.

Click here for more news and gear stories, feature articles, and vessel reviews as part of this month's focus on fishing and aquaculture.