Built to a new design developed by Skiparáðgjöf Ráðgarður, Háey is the latest in a growing number of fishing vessels designed to fit below the 30gt limit for access to the coastal hooked gears management system.
Háey has been built by Víkingbátar, a GRP builder with a strong reputation going back to the 1970s, and long track record of building fishing vessels. In 2012, new investors came in, and the company moved to new premises with a construction hall.The latest delivery is a 13.79-metre LOA GRP vessel with a 5.5-metre beam, measuring 29.88gt to remain within the 30gt limitation. The layout places the fishroom amidships and the engine space is aft, with the 628kW Yanmar main engine driving a ZF665 reduction gear. Fuel capacity is in two 3000 litre tanks, and there are two tanks for 970 litres of fresh water each, plus two 1,760-litre sea ballast tanks.
Raising the wheelhouse provides space for an exceptionally roomy working deck, and the plumb bow also makes better use of the space in the forward section, with the galley, mess area, shower and toilet compartments at the main deck level, while the four cabins are in the forward section below, arranged around a central area.
Háey alternates two crews of four, and as each of the four cabins has two bunks and two lockers, each crewman has a cabin to himself while at sea, with an individual bunk for everyone. This means that crew do not need to take belongings home with them when the relief crew takes over. For the same reason, the deck-level oilskin store has lockers for both crews.
This class of longliner is increasingly nomadic, operating not from a specific port, but wherever the best fishing grounds are at the time. As a result, better living conditions on board are important for the crew, as well as saving costs for the company as there is no need to rent temporary facilities ashore wherever the boat happens to be landing.
While longliners in this size class tend to operate as day boats, which allows them to land catches that are bled but ungutted, Háey’sworking deck is outfitted with a catch-handling line supplied by Micro that includes gutting facilities. This provides the option of working longer trips if required, with bleeding and washing facilities and a slurry ice machine on board to chill catches.
The fishroom is designed with a height of close to 2 metres, allowing crew to work standing fully upright, and capacity is for 62 460-litre tubs.
Háey’s longline gear is a Mustad Coastal system with a Line Controller to monitor line tension and manage hauling, plus a SeaBird Saver to deter birds from diving for bait as the line is shot away.
With 13 four-metre racks, each holding 1600 hooks, Háey’s longline configuration has capacity for roughly 22,000 hooks.
