Things are busy at Faroese shipbuilder MEST. As well as a 44-metre freezer trawler for Varðin and its venture to develop a drydock at its Skála location, it has confirmed an order for a 24-metre catamaran for aquaculture company Mowi.
Mowi’s newbuild will become the largest catamaran in the Faroe Islands, and according to MEST, this demonstrates the need for more extensive deck space and a broader range of equipment facilities.
The new catamaran will have an overall length of 24 metres and a 12-metre beam. This is a vessel designed specifically for the Faroese aquaculture sector, and will meet the requirements of the Faroese Maritime Authority.
“MEST closely follows developments in the aquaculture industry and aims to deliver advanced catamarans of high quality at competitive prices,” said the yard’s CEO Mouritz Mohr.
To meet the demands of lifting and handling larger equipment used in fish farming, the catamaran is to be outfitted with two large cranes. The larger of these is a KL200T4 crane with a 5-tonne winch and Scanreco RRC wireless remote control. This has a lifting capacity of over eight tonnes, combined with a 16-metre reach. The smaller unit is a 60t/m crane.
Also part of the plans are two heavyweight 80hp side thrusters, and a Dynamic Positioning system is also part of the package of equipment.
Mowi’s catamaran is designed to have private cabins for two people, plus a shared galley and living area for up to eight people.
The yard is forging ahead with construction work on the new drydock at its Skála yard, and MEST is also gearing up for the delivery of Varðin’s trawler Dunga Jákup, currently under construction at the Stozcnia Wisla shipyard in Gdansk. Named after one of Varðin’s founders, Jákup Jacobsen, who passed away last December, the 44-metre, 12-metre beam trawler is due to be delivered to the Faroe Islands for outfitting by MEST at the Skála yard, with completion scheduled for the summer of 2026.
Dunga Jákup replaces Rankin, which Varðin sold to Sandavágur in 2023.
