The second of two new trawlers built for Westman Islands fishing company Bergur-Huginn has arrived in its home port for the first time, and didn’t stay long at the quayside.
Bergey VE-144 is one of a series of seven trawlers built at the Vard Aukra yard Icelandic fishing companies. Its sister vessel Vestmannaey was the first of the series to be completed and has been fishing since the autumn.
Both trawlers went to the Slippurinn yard in Akureyri following their delivery by Vard for catch handling decks to be fitted. Bergey was handed over in Norway to Bergur-Huginn, a subsidiary of Síldarvinnslan, in October before being steamed across to Akureyri in Iceland.
The series of trawlers are innovative 28.90 metre LOA, 12 metre breadth design, each with a pair of main engines driving twin propellers.
Bergey didn’t stay alongside in the Westman Islands for long and sailed at the weekend for its first trip once fishing gear had been taken on board.
According to skipper Jón Valgeirsson, the new trawler looks promising.
‘We hit a storm off the north coast on the way from Akureyri and it performed well. The movement isn’t the same as the old Bergey,’ he said.
‘It’s fine making a start with a new ship on a Saturday. Saturday’s a lucky day,’ he said.
