Built by Vaagland Båtbyggeri to a Skipsteknisk ST-156 XL design for owners HP Holmeset, the new 63 metre, 13.50 metre breadth Geir was christened in Ålesund this week.
The latest in a series of longliner for the company that have carried the Geir name, and the third newbuild for HP Holmeset to be designed by Skipsteknisk, this is the largest dedicated longliner to be fishing in the North Atlantic. Accommodation on board is for a crew of up to 22.
Geir replaces a 51 metre vessel which was sold last year to the Faroe Islands.
The new Geir is built to concentrate on haddock and cod at the top end of the quality range, with production frozen on board. The longline system on board has capacity for 70,000 hooks and the line is hauled through a moonpool, which provides both better catch quality and a safer working environment.
The emphasis in the design has been on ensuring a minimal carbon footprint, and Geir has the latest hybrid propulsion systems, with battery capacity and the options of diesel-electric or diesel-mechanic modes.
