Mussel power: shellfish farmer takes delivery of purpose-built harvest vessels

A Shetland mussel farmer has taken delivery of two 20-metre harvest vessels designed by Aberdeenshire company Macduff Ship Design.

The sister vessels Fruitful Harvest and Fruitful Bough are now starting operations at Blueshell Mussels’ farm sites around the Shetland Islands.

Construction was contracted to Norway’s Skagen Ship Consulting, which worked with Etkin Marin shipyard in Turkey. Following completion and shipping to the UK, the vessels completed commissioning at Macduff Shipyards.

Although designed for mussel harvesting, the vessels can perform multiple roles within the industry. They are also designed to meet low water and air draft requirements for operation around Shetland, and are arranged with bow and stern thrusters to ensure accurate control at low speeds when harvesting.

Macduff Ship Design said it worked closely with Blueshell Mussels on the design from initial concept, through yard tender, to delivery to ensure that the vessels met all of the farmer’s requirements. The process led to a bespoke vessel incorporating many new features to streamline all aspects of the vessel’s operation.

Alongside their harvesting duties, the vessels can perform multi-role tasks such as mooring work, crane operations and towing. The vessels are arranged with four specialist double harvest davits to starboard and a Guerra M230.20A marine crane supplied by Thistle Group.

With a beam of 7.20m and depth of 2.30m, the vessels have ample space for the state-of-the-art harvesting system and carriage of the harvested mussels, said Macduff Ship Design.

The vessels feature a spacious cabin, mess and pantry area below deck forward, with bunks for four crew, and there is a spacious wheelhouse arranged with skipper’s chair and controls to starboard, and crew lounge to port.

Twin diesel engines

The vessels are powered by twin 360HP Doosan L126 TIH main engines running at 2000rpm are installed, driving fixed pitch open propellers through Dong-I gearboxes with 4.04:1 reduction ratio. Auxiliary power is provided a Doosan AD136 TI, which also drives the hydraulic system, and a Beta generator set. The propellers and bow and stern thrusters were all supplied by Kort Propulsion.

Both vessels are classed to the new UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency Workboat Code III, to operate in Category III waters up to 20 miles from a safe haven.

“Macduff Ship Design is delighted to have been able to work with Blueshell Mussels on these projects, and looks forward to developing our relationship further,” said Macduff Ship Design managing director Ian Ellis in a press release.