Kevin O’Leary and his vessel partner, Walter Sargent, have taken delivery of their new longliner.
The vessel is called Afognak Straitafter the island, and a mountain in the northern part of the Kodiak Archipelago. It is also the name of a passage between little Whale Island and Afognak Island.
Delivered by Fred Wahl Marine of Reedsport Oregon, the 58-foot Afognak Strait has a 26-foot beam with a 13-foot depth. Prompted by the regulated 58-foot Alaskan limit the beamy boat provides a big stable work platform for the crew.
The Afognak Strait has comfortable accommodations for a crew of six. For extended voyages the vessels carries 9,450 gallons of fuel and 1,735 gallons of potable water. There is also a 338-gallon lube oil tank.
Propulsion power comes from a Cummins QSK19-M main engine generating 600hp at 1800RPM. The main turns into a ZF2450 gear with a 5.5:1 ratio. The gear turns a 5-inch diameter shaft and a four-blade bronze propeller. Two auxiliaries provide 175kW and 55kW of electrical power.
On deck there is a 26-foot Knuckle crane, and the two fishholds are 2210 cubic feet and 1120 cubic feet.
The Afognak Strait is fitted with a Mustad AutoBaiter longline system. The system has been used for halibut and black cod over the summer and was then changed over to cod pot fishing, which are modified Kodiak style crab traps 6.5-feet square by 42-inched deep.
