Iceland’s HB Grandi’s wetfish trawler, ‘Otto N Thorláksson RE’, is to be docked for two to three months due to a main engine breakdown last week.
The company says the fault, which was fortunately noticed before the vessel was due to sail, lies in the main engine’s main bearing, but it’s unclear what other damage it’s caused, though the crankshaft and other components could have suffered.
‘We’ve brought in Stálsmidjan-Framtak to repair the engine and the opinion is that it needs to be taken out before being dismantled. They’re aiming to start work tomorrow and until the engine has been taken apart, it won’t be possible to assess the damage,’ explained Gísli Jónmundsson, HB Grandi‘s marine superintendent.
Mr Jónmundsson added that it will take at least six weeks to overhaul the engine, assuming there are no other problems, and that it could be finished around the end of January 2015.
HB Grandi says the issue will impact it‘s schedule of raw material supply to it‘s shore-based processing plants in Reykjavík and Akranes.
The company operated three other wetfish trawlers and says it hopes to be able to adapt their fishing schedules while the fourth trawler is being fixed.
