Pelagic vessel ‘Adenia’ (LK 193) has returned home to Whalsay, UK, after being lengthened to improve stability and enhance the quality of fish landed.
An 8.4m section was inserted into the 62m hull by shipworkers from the Alkor company in Gdansk, Poland, increasing the vessel’s length to 70.4m.
As part of the £2.5 million project, the Adenia’s tank capacity was also increased at the Karstensens yard in Skagen, Denmark, from 1,499m3 to 2,050m3.
In addition, the configuration of the fish handling system was altered so that fish are pumped aboard from the stern instead of over the side.
Skipper George William Anderson, from Whalsay, who owns the boat with his sons and LHD, said he was very impressed with the quality of the steelwork.
He and members of the Adenia’s 11-strong crew brought the vessel home at the weekend from Denmark and were preparing to head to the west of Orkney to fish for herring this week.
“With the extra length she’s much more stable in the water and a lot more fuel-efficient,” he said.
“The quality of the work done in Poland and Denmark was excellent and we’re looking forward to getting her back out to sea.”
The hull of the Adenia, which was built in Turkey, was designed to be able to accommodate an additional middle section.
The lengthening of the Adenia comes a year after another Whalsay boat, the Research (LK 62), became the biggest in the Scottish fleet when a 7.8m section was added amidships at the Batbygg yard in Raudeberg, giving it a total length of 78.5m. The Zephyr, meanwhile, was lengthened in 2008.
Whalsay will see new pelagic vessel late next year when the next Antares (LK 419) is due to be completed at Norway’s Simek yard.
