A new pelagic trawler for Fraserburgh owners that has a heritage going back to the first wooden-hulled Fertile back in 1962 has been ordered by the Klondyke Fishing Company, owned and run by the Tait family.
The new 75.80 metre, 9.20 metre breadth Chris Andra is scheduled to be delivered by the Karstensen yard in Skagen in the summer of 2026. Like others in the long series of pelagic vessels on the yard’s orderbook, Chris Andra is a Karstensen design, developed in collaboration with the owners to optimise quality and hygiene, while ensuring the safest and best possible working and and living conditions for the crew.
‘Karstensen Shipyard is extremely proud of this new order, being the yards first association with the Tait family,’ commented the yard’s Kent Damgaard. ‘This contract serves to strengthen the strong relationship between NE Scotland pelagic fleet and Karstensen Shipyard.’
The choices of most of the key equipment for the new vessel have been made, with the owners sticking largely with known and trusted existing suppliers, including Bergen for the main engine and Karmøy Winch for the deck machinery.
Brothers Andrew, Robert and Willie Tait developed the business from the 1960s onwards, and were constantly at the forefront of development through the following decades. The first Chris Andra, built in 1975, was at the time the biggest pelagic trawler/purse seiner in the UK – and one the very most successful.
Klondyke Fishing Company was established in 1985 to integrate the brothers’ business and with next generation deeply involved as skippers and shareholders. Today there are three generations closely involved in running Klondyke Fishing.
The present fleet of modern pelagic trawlers consists of Challenge built in 2005, the current Chris Andra built in 2006 and Taits delivered in 2019.
