US company Wesmar says it has installed its TCS335 and TCS345 trawl sonars on vessels in Scotland and France.
In Peterhead, it is a TCS345 on the Buchan family's Lunar Fishing Company's 61m pelagic trawler Lunar Bow and their 67m Pathway. The same model for Fraserburgh-based 65m Challenge and the 61m vessel Taits, owned by Klondyke Fishing Company Ltd. Companies in France include TCS335 installations on smaller trawlers in not previously using trawl sonars -- for example in Brittany the Pen Kiriak III, a 19m owned by Captain Stephan Rio and Captain Ludovic Leroux's 23m Cintharth. Wesmar says it suits these vessels as it light weight and small so good for their light nets. The TCS335 headrope unit is less than 58cm in length and weighs only 12kg and 4.5kg in the water and can be handled by one man on deck.
In Barfleur, Normandy, the hull-mounted sonar SS395, have been installed. For David Rigault for the Oceano Nox, Stephane Papillon for the Fraval, and Pascal Papillon for the Manolie. Wesmar says it can scan 360 degrees incorporates a profiler and down sounder, is available in 160, 110 or 60 kHz and has the same pistol control as the others.
The TCS335 is net-mounted, combining a 200 kHz down sounder, a 310 kHz profiler, and a catch sensor receiver. The TCS345 also has a pressure for the depth of the headrope in the water. The larger TCS773 has been bought for the Christian I Grotinum and the Krunborg in the Faroes , the Holmaborg and the Borkur in Iceland, the Atlantic Challenge and the Neptune in Ireland, the Afrika and the Johanna Maria in the Netherlands, the Mogsterbas and the Cazador in Norway, and the Altaire and the Research in the UK. The pistol grip controller eliminates the control console and with data on screen it works well in small wheelhouses. Wesmar offers optional PCS75 catch sensors mounted on the codend to tell him when it is full.
