The Savels family have been fishing with van Eyck Z-53 for more than twenty years, and went to the Padmos yard in Stellendam for a new vessel when their hunt for a suitable second-hand trawler was unsuccessful.
Now the new van Eyck is about to be delivered by Padmos. The 39.95-metre, 8.50-metre beam trawler is similar in design to beamers Z-483, Z-98, and Z-39 that have been delivered by Padmos to owners in Belgium over the last couple of years. These have all been completed by Padmos using hulls fabricated by Rotterdam yard CSR.
Sea trials have been carried out before Christmas and now the new beamer is at the quayside in Stellendam for the finishing touches, including fitting a net drum.
Unlike the previous van Eyck which was a conventional beam trawler, the new vessel is outfitted to tow twin-rig trawl gear for fishing langoustine. The new trawler’s ABC main engine keeps its fuel consumption at an economic level.
The old van Eyck Z-53, which was built in 1981 and acquired 25 years ago by Steven Savels, completed its last trip in November and has been laid up in Stellendam, waiting for new owners to take it on for fishing or for some other role.
