A new and revolutionary designed 12-metre prawn creel catamaran, which fishes from Tayvalick in Argyll on the west coast of Scotland, has been built by Isle of Sky Boatbuilders.
It is powered by a pair of Perkins Sabre M265Ti engines factory de-rated to a 212hp commercial application rating to deliver a comfortable cruising speed of 12 knots and a top speed of 14 knots when loaded with a full catch, or 16 knots unladened.
Based on a Gemini GF12 hull, Zolee has a 5.2m beam and a 1.2m draft. It is a lightweight semi-displacement vessel that is believed to be the first to have its deck and wheelhouse entirely constructed using a new high strength-to-weight polypropylene honeycomb-core material. This combination of lightweight boat construction and the high power-to-weight ratio, fuel-efficient engines further improves fuel economy by enabling Zolee’s hull to reach the optimum planning position quickly, while requiring lower speed through the water and less power from the engines.
The wastegated turbocharged, charge air cooled, six-cylinder, six-litre Perkins Sabre engines are coupled to 2:1 reduction Twin Disc gearboxes that drive 600mm diameter four-bladed propellers. In addition to providing propulsion power, the port engine, which has been fitted with a trolling valve for maximum efficiency when steaming up to the gear, has additional power take-off for a 38mm Jabsco-driven deck wash pump that doubles as an engine room bilge pump. A similar 38mm Jabsco pump is driven off the starboard engine for the vessel’s vivier tank that can hold up to 30 trays of tubed prawns; it also drives the boat’s entire hydraulic system.
