Tasmanian company Huon Aquaculture has launched a new workboat built at the company’s Port Huon engineering workshops.
The new Delilah is designed as a multi-purpose workhorse with lifting capacity for installing and maintaining moorings, undertaking net changing duties and handling net and pen maintenance at Huon Aquaculture’s farms in Bruny Island’s Storm Bay, which has a reputation for living up to its name.
“The weather in Storm Bay can get wild so we have built the Delilah to withstand just about anything that Tasmania’s weather can throw at her,” Huon Aquaculture’s CEO Peter Bender said.
“Delilah was constructed from the ground up by the team at the Company’s Port Huon engineering workshop.
“In addition to our ten employees, we used 54 businesses and contractors to help us build the boat and we are extremely proud that 40 of them are based in southern Tasmania including; Spectrum Engineering, Hobart Marine Coatings, Southern Carpets, Brierley Hose and Handling, and Drysdale Engineering,” he said.
“These jobs are important in rural and regional areas and we want to do our bit to help other local businesses. That’s why we remain firmly committed to employing as many locally-based contractors, businesses and labourers as possible.”
Australian company Murray Isles Designs came up with the design work for Delilah, which was built over three years and is a sister vessel to the Samson that was built at Port Huon in 2004.
The 24 metre overall, 10 metre beam Delilah has a 30 tonne winch and a crane with a 50 tonne lift capacity
Huon Aquaculture was founded in 1988 by Peter and Frances Bender at Hideaway Bay in Tasmania’s rugged far south. Today the Huon Aquaculture Group produces around 20,000 tonnes of fresh salmon per year and is recognised premium producer of fresh and smoked salmon products. The company currently employs around 550 people in most states of Australia and both Peter and Frances remain involved in all areas of the business on a daily basis.
