Work is well underway on a new industrial harbour at Dhabba in Yemen and it will be the largest facility of its kind on the Southern Arabian Peninsula. According to a Deutz Germany statement, the $30M project will house a state-of-the-art processing plant built to the latest EU hygiene requirements. Full-time staff of more than 100 will be housed on-site together with recreational and religious facilities. The 400-metre harbour will be to a future Yemeni Fish fleet of 40 vessels and offer a safe landing area for artisanal fishermen.
The Yemeni Fish Company was established in 2002 to supply quality fresh seafood from the Gulf of Aden to markets in Europe, Japan and the Americas.
There will be full traceability and the new vessels will be the first European-styled production vessel developed specifically for the Middle East to cope with bad weather and high water temperatures. Traditional timber sambuks, khadifas and houris, and latterly some glass reinforced plastic (GRP) copies have dominated fishing fleets but they can face difficulties in bad weather and cannot meet modern processing standards.
Middle Eastern waters are particularly corrosive with high temperatures (in excess of 45oC), high salinity and 100% humidity - a recipe for making steel disappear. The switch to GRP construction avoids this and also allows better ventilation systems, air conditioning, sun awnings, increased refrigeration and insulation.
The first of five vessels has been built at the yard of the UAE's luxury boat builder Gulf Craft Inc. Called the Lena 2, it is a 17m longliner with a total displacement of 42 tonnes. The boat has completed its sea trials and is now working at sea.
According to Deutz, the designs is simple, with a small deckhouse positioned on the foredeck. Below decks the engine room has a compact and short build DEUTZ 1015MC type main engine which supplies 236 kW @ 1,800 rpm through a type ZF 311 transmission with a ratio of 2,54 towards the fixed 4-blade propeller. The maximum speed is 12 knots and cruising speed 0 knots. A Northern Lights 12kVA shaft generator eliminates the need for an auxiliary engine.
The main engine is turbocharged and charge-air cooled, 12 litres in a V 90 deg configuration. The storage compartment behind the engine can hold 24 m3 of fish.
There is a skipper's cabin, galley area behind the bridge and bunks for the crew in the forecastle. The 4,000 litre fuel tank gives an operating range of 1,500 nautical miles and there is 2,000l fresh water storage. The electronics were installed by Company Radio Holland/Atlas Communications and include a Furuno M 1832 radar, depth sounder (FCV 1100) and Furuno GP32 satcom service.
The consortium behind the overall harbour and vessel project involves the Yemeni Fish Company, Saudi Arabia's Bugshan Co, international fisheries consultancy MacAlister Elliott and Partners Ltd, UK, Rogers Yacht Design, UK, Germany-based diesel engine manufacturer DEUTZ AG, Gulf Craft Inc, UAE.
