Belgian family fishing company Rederij Long Ships has contracted Damen Maaskant Shipyards Stellendam to build a new 38-metre long Beam Trawler. The vessel will be a new Maaskant design – the BT3808 – that the shipyard has modified to realise a twelve per cent increase in bollard pull during trawling, the company said in its release.
Damen Maaskant has designed the new vessel, Z91 Franson, within the maximum length and gross tonnage permitted by the Belgian Maritime Inspectorate. Furthermore, the shipyard has carried out research with propeller developers and manufacturers SIP Marine with the aim to realise fuel consumption reductions in relation to current hull forms working in the Belgian fishing fleet. This study has resulted in a 12% increase in bollard pull used during trawling.
For Rederij Long Ships owner Eddie Cattoor, the decision to invest in a new fishing vessel was based on numerous factors. “We had been looking forward to a new vessel for some time. And now the time is ripe. Fish prices and quotas are satisfactory, the oil price is reasonable and our current vessel is ready for replacement. In short, a good time to invest.
“We have complete confidence in Maaskant and expect them to build a perfect vessel for us,” he continued.
Founded in 1934 by the current owner’s grandfather, Rederij Long Ships has been family-owned ever since. The company has been fishing with beam trawlers for decades. The new vessel is set to replace Rederij Long Ships’ current beam trawler, the Z90 Francine.
Rederij Long Ships intends to continue their current operations, fishing year-round in North Sea and Skagerak waters, in addition to the summer season in the Bay of Biscay, with their new vessel.
The contract signing was very much a family affair, with Long Ships owner Eddie Cattoor, his wife, daughter and son-in-law all present, thus reflecting their commitment to a long-lasting family company.
Referring to what is actually the first new build contract between the two parties, Damen Maaskant Shipyards Stellendam commercial manager Jeroen van den Berg said: “We are honoured with the trust placed in us by the Cattoor family. With this new vessel, their company and its successors are ready for the future.”
Damen Shipyards Group
Damen Shipyards Group operates 36 shipbuilding and repair yards, employing 12,000 people worldwide. Damen has delivered more than 6,500 vessels in more than 100 countries and delivers around 175 vessels annually to customers worldwide. Based on its unique, standardised ship-design concept Damen is able to guarantee consistent quality.
Damen’s focus on standardisation, modular construction and keeping vessels in stock leads to short delivery times, low ‘total cost of ownership’, high resale values and reliable performance. Furthermore, Damen vessels are based on thorough R&D and proven technology.
Damen offers a wide range of products, including tugs, workboats, naval and patrol vessels, high speed craft, cargo vessels, dredgers, vessels for the offshore industry, ferries, pontoons, superyachts and fishing vessels.
For nearly all vessel types Damen offers a broad range of services, including maintenance, spare parts delivery, training and the transfer of (shipbuilding) know-how. Damen also offers a variety of marine components, such as nozzles, rudders, winches, anchors, anchor chains and steel works.
Damen Shiprepair & Conversion (DSC) has a worldwide network of eighteen repair and conversion yards of which twelve are located in North West Europe. Facilities at the yards include more than 50 floating (and covered) drydocks, including the longest, 420 x 80 metres, and the widest, 405 x 90 metres, as well as slopes, ship lifts and indoor halls. Projects range from the smallest simple repairs through Class’ maintenance to complex refits and the complete conversion of large offshore structures. DSC completes around 1,300 repair and maintenance jobs annually, both at yards as well as in ports and during voyage.