Belgian family fishing company Rederij Long Ships has placed an order for an innovative new 38 metre beam trawler with Damen Maaskant Shipyards Stellendam. The beamer is to be built to a new Maaskant design – the BT3808 – which has been refined by the shipyard to achieve a 12% increase in bollard pull.
‘We had been looking forward to a new vessel for some time. And now the time is ripe. Fish prices and quotas are satisfactory, the fuel price is reasonable and our current vessel is ready for replacement. In short, a good time to invest,’ said Rederij Long Ships owner Eddie Cattoor.
‘We have complete confidence in Maaskant and expect them to build a perfect vessel for us,’ he said.
Signing the contract was very much a family affair, with Eddie Cattoor, his wife, daughter and son-in-law all present, reflecting their commitment to a long-lasting family company.
‘We are honoured with the trust placed in us by the Cattoor family,’ said Damen Maaskant Shipyards Stellendam commercial manager Jeroen van den Berg. ‘With this new vessel, their company and its successors are ready for the future.’
The new beamer will be Franson Z-91, and will replace the company’s current Francine Z-90. The design keeps the new beamer within the maximum length and gross tonnage permitted by the Belgian Maritime Inspectorate, but Maaskant has carried out research with propeller developers and manufacturers SIP Marine with the aim of achieving fuel consumption reductions in relation to current hull forms working in the Belgian fishing fleet.
This study has resulted means to reach a 12% increase in bollard pull.
Established in 1934 by Eddie Cattoor’s grandfather, Rederij Long Ships has been family-owned ever since. The company has been fishing with beam trawlers for decades.
Rederij Long Ships intends to continue its current operations with the new Z-91, fishing year-round in North Sea and Skagerak waters, in addition to the summer season in the Bay of Biscay.
