Delight as new Guardian Angell arrives
SKIPPER Michael Henderson and his crew couldn’t have asked for a better day to arrive with their brand new whitefish trawler at Lerwick harbour.
The Guardian Angell (Lk272) was built at the Parkol shipyard, in Whitby, during the last 12 months, and delivered on time.
Following successful engine and fishing trials off Whitby, the 24 metre vessel arrived in Lerwick on Wednesday afternoon. She will head north to her homeport of Cullivoe on Thursday.
Henderson said the new vessel was actually a foot shorter than the fishing partnership’s previous Guardian Angell, but significantly more beamier and with more draught.
He said the new vessel had a much better fuel economy, which will help keeping the running cost down.
“When we did the gear trials we were towing at about 73 litre per hour and the old boat was about 110 litre,” he said.
Congratulating the Henderson and his partners Mark Hoseason and Lindsay Inkster, chief executive of the Shetland Fish Producers’ Organisation, Brian Isbister, said it was always good to see a new boat coming to Shetland.
“The industry is in a good place just now, and we expect to see some more orders for new boats in the months ahead,” he added.
His words were echoed by the skipper: “The cod has now reached a more sustainable state and quotas are set to rise.
“Prices are good, and yes, I would say thinks are looking very good at the moment.
“A lot of people throughout the industry are finding the same; and a lot of boats are going to built over the next years with possibly two more for Shetland,” he said.
The Guardian Angell is just shy of 24m long and almost 8m across the beam.
Her main engine is a fuel-efficient Mitsubishi S6R2 coupled to a Reintjes 7.476:1 reduction gearbox and turning a 2,500mm diameter propeller in a newly-designed nozzle.
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She gave an average top speed of 10.3 knots in trials.
She arrived in Lerwick complete with 750 new yellow LHD fish boxes stored in her fishroom.
Henderson he said he was “delighted” to have sold the partnership’s previous vessel to four young Whalsay fishermen who have renamed her Courageous.
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