Net cleaner opts for hefty new vessel
The company specialises in operating MPI net cleaning systems and already has one vessel supplied by Viknaslipen. The new version, which will also have input from Marin Design, is going to be two and a quarter times heavier, in order to be better suited to the exposed conditions in the islands.
Colin Leask, owner of Aurora Marine, explained to Fish Farming Expert: “In Norway, many companies favour catamarans we opted for a single hull design, mainly it has a better sea-going capability – unlike in Norway where many of the farms are in the shelter of the fjords, in Shetland the sites are much more exposed.
"Single hulled vessels also have much more space below deck, which enables us to have two good sized engine rooms - one for propulsion and one for the net cleaning system - which means we don't need to put the net cleaning stuff on the deck, and there's plenty of space to work in the engine rooms."
Colin opted to use Viknaslipen due to the quality of the last vessel they built for him.
“Our last vessel [Aurora] was made at Viknaslipen and, while we could have gone for a cheaper option, the build quality on Aurora was second to none, while Marin produced some first class design.”
Colin, who has spent much of his working life on fishing boats, has also added his own valuable experience to the design – and decided to opt for an even sturdier build than he chose for Aurora.
“It’s single hulled and has been built pretty much on the same principles,” he explains, “but will be 2m wider, 1m longer and 1.25m higher – making it 2 and a quarter times heavier. This makes it much more stable for the crew and should give us a few extra days net cleaning each year. It is also set to include 3 ballast tanks, so we can sink it down in the water when we’re working on the cages, which means that there’s less roll.
“There is also an anti-roll tank in the wheelhouse roof – something that is often used in the pelagic vessels I’ve working on – which further helps to slow up the roll.”
Prospective contracts
Aurora currently does all the net cleaning for Cooke Aquaculture’s sites in Shetland and Colin hopes that the new vessel will win a contract with the same company.
“I’m taking a bit of an educated gamble,” Colin admits, “but Cooke have plans to expand – they took over two sites from the Thompson Bros earlier this year and have applied for a couple of other new sites, which they should be hearing about later this week.”
“If this all goes to plan, they should have 176 nets in the water. Each boat can do roughly 35 nets a week and most nets are done on a two week cycle, so there should be plenty to keep us busy.”
Colin pioneered the use of the MPI cleaning system in Scotland, and feels that it’s now gaining the recognition it deserves.
“We were the first people to bring the idea to Scotland, back in 2012, and the fish farming companies were a bit wary about signing long term net cleaning contracts back then. Now, however, the benefits – the improved aeration, leading to improved health of the fish, reduced production times and decreased feed costs – of regular net cleaning are becoming apparent.
“As one farmer in Norway told me, we didn’t know if we could afford the net cleaning service originally, but now we know we couldn’t afford not to have the service!”
The concept is gaining momentum on mainland Scotland too, Colin points out.
“Karl Scott at Marine Harvest did a trial on one site: it outperformed all others and he quickly decided to roll it out across their Scottish sites,” Colin reflects.
And Colin is also excited by a trial that the West Norway regional research fund is financing and which will be undertaken by Steen-Hansen, in co-operation with Uni Research Environment.
“A new study is going to look into whether the growth on nets can be a harbour for parasites and diseases. It makes sense, that lice, for example, will be trapped in the nets by excessive fouling,” he observes, “and this trial should show more health benefits of keeping nets extra clean.”
Specifications
Material: aluminium
Length: 14.96 metres
Width: 7 metres
Depth: 3.15 m
Main engine: Deutz 1015 MC 390 HK
Auxiliary engine: 2 x Perkins / Mecalte 30 KVA
Cleaning equipment: MPI D500
Deck equipment: HS marine 32 t/m crane, 2 and 3 tonne capstans
