The first of two new pelagic vessels for Iceland has been delivered, with Samherji’s Vilhelm Thorstseinsson docking in its home port of Akureyri at Easter.
The 88 metre LOA, 16.60 metre beam Vilhelm Thorsteinsson EA-11 represents a change in strategy to landing fresh pelagic catches for processing ashore, as it replaces a pioneering pelagic processor vessel of the same name that was in operation for Samherji for 18 years before being sold to a fishing company in the Russian Far East.
Sister vessel Börkur is under construction for Síldarvinnslan and is expected to be completed shortly, with delivery expected to take place in May.
Vilhelm Thorsteinsson and Börkur are designed and built by the Karstensen yard in Skagen as combined purse seiners/pelagic trawlers. Target species are herring, mackerel, blue whiting and capelin. Each has a 3400m3 capacity in 13 tanks and the two new pelagic vessels are each powered by twin 3200kW engines.
Samherji’s managing director Thorsteinn Már Baldvinsson joined the new ship for its delivery trip from Skagen to Akureyri.
“This is the third generation of pelagic vessels we have participated in operating,” he said.
“We decided to contract this work to the Karstensen Shipyard. The designers work at the yard, and Samherji staff have also been part of the process with their own ideas, including those concerning energy saving. So we can say that this vessel is result of co-operation between the yard’s staff and ours. This has been a good outcome and it was fantastic to sail home with the ship.”
Restrictions in place due to the Covid pandemic ruled out holding the usual open ship, but Akureyri’s mayor Ásthildur Sturludóttir presented skipper Guðmundur Jónsson with a bouquet of flowers in a discreet ceremony to welcome Vilhelm Thorsteinsson to its home port.
