The first of two new trawlers being built for Icelandic owners at the Huanghai yard at Rongcheng in China has undergone successful sea trials, and the two trawlers are now in dry dock for the final sandblasting and painting before both leave for fishing gear trials.
The first of the pair, Breki, has been out on steering and sailing trials which were successful and the superpropeller performed as intended.
VSV’s Breki and HG’s Páll Pálsson are built with exceptionally large 4700mm propellers, predicted to save 30-40% fuel compared to a 3000mm propeller. According to project manager Rakel Sævarsdóttir at naval architect Skipasýn, these are the largest propellers in use in the Icelandic fleet, expected to be exceptionally efficient.
Guðni Ingvar Guðnason, VSV’s marine superintendent, commented that the sea trials went well.
‘Bollard pull proved to be over 50 tonnes, which is excellent. Steaming speed was 14 knots on the sea trials,’ he said.
‘The sea trials showed exactly what Skipasýn, who designed the propeller, and MAN, who manufactured the main engine and the propeller, had predicted. Everything went by the book, with no surprises,’ he said.
