HB Grandi’s new trawler is now halfway home from Turkey on its delivery trip to Iceland.
‘Everything has gone well so far. We’ve had a strong headwind but today we’ve had the wind behind us. There’s an unbelievable amount of shipping, but it’s fine as long as you stick to the rules,’ said skipper Friðleifur Einarsson, who is steaming Engey home with a crew of six, with the open Atlantic ahead and an estimated week’s steaming before they dock in Reykjavík.
The trawler will have a crew of 15 when it starts fishing, or the same size crew as is now on board Ásbjörn.
Friðleifur Einarsson said that it is a huge change to take over the new vessel, and all of the equipment and facilities are better than they are used to.
‘This ship is probably three times bigger than Ásbjörn, which I have been skipper of up to now. Just the beam is four metres more than Ásbjörn’s. The bow design is certainly special, but it handles well. It is designed to cut through the waves, especially in a headwind. The fuel tanks are also much bigger and with full bunkers we can carry a month’s worth of fuel, enough for four trips.’
There is a good forecast for the next few days and Friðleifur Einarsson said that it will be a real surprise if the weather holds all the way to Iceland at this time of year.
‘There’s every chance we’ll hit a storm on the way. The area between Ireland and Iceland can be hell in the middle of winter, but we’re ready for it,’ said Friðleifur Einarsson, who is hoping that Engey will dock in Reykjavík around the 25th of January.
