Fish farm workboat for Irish coastal duties

The keel of the 13m LOA craft was laid on 14 January this year and the boat completed successful sea trials on 7 May, taking only 16 weeks from start to finish for the complete build.The hull was built from Lloyds Grade A shot blasted and primed steel plate with transverse framing. It is divided into four watertight compartments. The steering room aft has access from the deck via a flush mounted Baier Marine hatch. Two separate 1,500 litre fuel tanks are built into the hull in this area also. Forward are two feed silos, one port and one starboard, with separate flush mounted Hercules 2828 aluminium hatches. Capacity of the silos is 5.3 tons each.

Forward of the silos is a large engine room which incorporates the Caterpillar 3056 main engine, rated at 185 hp, and the Twin Disc MG 5061 gearbox supplied by McCormick Mac Naughton Ltd, as well as a hydraulic oil tank, deck wash pumps and hydraulic pumps.
Moving further forward, there is a large storage area which is fitted with a toilet. This area could also be used for sleeping accommodation but such provision is not required for this particular vessel. Just forward of this compartment is the chain locker, which is accessed from the forecastle deck through a flush mounted Baier aluminium deck hatch.

The wheelhouse is of all welded steel construction and is accessed through a door on the port side which leads onto the main deck. On the starboard side there is another store room for diving bottles and working equipment.
Deck equipment includes a Guerra Model No M90.90 M 3 hydraulic crane with an outreach of 11.4m and lifting capacity of 800kg at 9.6m. It is fitted with a GDW-090 hydraulic winch with brake.

There is a three ton hydraulic deck winch for towing, supplied and manufactured by Mooney Boats Ltd as well as a two ton vertical capstan winch also supplied and manufactured by Mooney Boats.

There is a 300 kgf hydraulic bow thruster. Five mooring bollards are positioned with one forward, two amidships and two aft. There is a roller at the stern midship deck level and three access doors are provided for diving and ease of loading cargo off the quayside. All hydraulics were supplied by Mooney Boats Ltd.

The wheelhouse has been provided with good all round visibility and is fitted with Seaglaze Series 10 and 11 clamp-in windows and also two series 21 clamp in doors. A skippers chair of type Cab 300 is mounted on a steel pedestal. A small table with bench seating for four has also been provided.

The steering system is hand hydraulic heavy duty with emergency steering also provided. Rudder and stern gear includes a rudder tube of 685mm OAL complete with seals and bearings; the rudder in mild steel, flange mounted including the tiller arm; the stern tube for 2.5″ shaft, 2,430mm OAL with Sure seal and cutlass bearing; the 2.5″ diameter prop shaft, twin taper, 5,500mm OAL in F51 Duplex; a tapered shaft/gearbox coupling to suit the MG5061; and a 35”x24” four blade propeller in AB2 material, all supplied by Clements Engineering.
The wheelhouse electronics, supplied by Barry Electronics Ltd, includes a Furuno model 1623 marine radar, a Furuno model LS-4100 sounder and an ICOM VHF.

Other electronics, supplied by Mooney Boats includes five Rule 3700 24 Volt electric bilge pumps, a 1.5″ Jabsco 24 Volt electro-magnetic deck wash pump, two Vetus 24 Volt electric fuel gauges and tank sensors, two Roca 24 Volt marine wipers, an ED 830 24 Volt bilge alarm system, and a Jabsco 146SL remote control searchlight.

Navigation lights as per requirements of the M.S.O. include two 24 Volt Aqua Signal S/S floodlights, four Aqua Signal fluorescent lights for various compartments, a set of 24 Volt starting and lighting batteries and a 24 Volt switchboard and distribution board. Mooney Boats also supplied two Gusher 30 hand fire and bilge pumps.

Fire fighting and safety equipment includes a set of distress flares (RORC), a first aid kit, four lifebuoys, four lifejackets and two fire extinguishers.

A Jotun & Clarke paint system was supplied by Mooney Boats Ltd and the vessel was painted by Geard Bray & Sons. An MG Duff anode protection system is fitted, again supplied by Mooney Boats Ltd.

The vessel has been surveyed throughout the build by the Marine Survey Office and is licensed as P 4 work boat.