The second of a series of three trawlers for owners in Brittany was launched this week in Douarnenez. Built for Loctudy fisherman Stéphane Le Bec, Kronos is the sister vessel to Les Caraïbes II, which was delivered to Julien Le Brun in May, and a third trawler in the series is under construction.
Designed by Coprexma and built at the Chantiers Gléhen yard in Douarnenez, Kronos measures 14.90 metre LOA with a 5.90 metre beam. The design is the result of Coprexma’s long experience in designing fishing vessels for French owners and worked closely with Stéphabe Le Bec and Julien Le Brun to achieve a design that was optimal for their fishing methods and grounds, while also optimising construction costs.
In broad terms, the trawlers are very similar, with the same dimensions and the same Caterpillar C18 main engine, but there are also differences, and Kronos’s owner wanted a heavier set of hydraulic equipment for handling fishing gear, as well as an additional live well for storing langoustine live on board during 48-hour trips. The trawler has a 16 cubic metre fishroom and a 10.54 cubic metre fuel capacity, as well as tank space for 1900 litres of fresh water on board.
This is the first newbuild for Stéphane Le Bec, and replaces his older trawler, the 1984-built Ouranos which he and his father acquired in 2011. This trawler and the kilowatts of an older vessel from La Turballe leaving the fleet were enough to provide enough capacity units for the new Kronos.
‘I’m very happy with the delivery of Kronos, Stéphane Le Bec said.
‘This is the culmination of a project that has been in progress for two years and which allows me today to look to the future with security. A new boat means being able to work safely and to say goodbye to breakdowns. Above all, it’s all about more safety and better comfort for the crew.’
Kronos sails with a crew of four on board, with three trips on to one off rotation, with the first trip scheduled for the middle of December so the new trawler can get in some sea time before Christmas. Stéphane Le Bec expects to target mainly langoustine and groundfish in the Bay of Biscay.
The third vessel in the series, Corail, is being built for Julien Le Brun and is approaching completion at Chantiers Gléhen, which is also building the Bara XVII, a sister vessel to the recently delivered Bara Breizh for Le Guilvinec company Armement Bigouden, also a Coprexma design.
Coprexma has been busy with the French fishing sector recently, and in addition to the newbuilds at Chantiers Gléhen, it is also responsible for Le Breizh, built at Socarenam and Zachary and Le Trehic that were both built at Chantier Naval Croisicais.
A Coprexma-designed 12m wooden vessel is being built at Chantier Hemeury and the design team is at work on the seine netter ordered by ACAV from Socarenam. Coprexma has also handled the design of the first aluminium-hulled aquaculture tender to be built by the ECOREP/Piriou partnership in Algeria.
