The latest newbuilding for the Gitte Henning fleet has been delivered by the Bredgaards Baadeværft in Sakskøbing, with a departure from the company’s usual steel-hulled vessels in favour of glass fibre for the first time.
The 16.35 metre Sønderstrand has a beam of 6 metres, and owner Henning Kjeldsen said that the intention was to build a roomy, well-equipped fishing vessel.
‘It had been the idea to build a boat that’s cheap to operate, effective, and not least as maintenance-free as possible, so that the boat is built in fibreglass and stainless steel, and I think we have achieved what we set out to,’ he said.
For a few weeks ago, Henning Kjeldsen offered the young Mads Nielsen a berth on the new Sønderstrand.
Mads is a third-generation fisherman. Both his father and grandfather have both been skippers, and after having taken his tickets, he was not slow to accept Henning Kjeldsen’s offer to skipper the new boat.
Henning Kjeldsen commented that young fishermen like Mads, willing to take responsibility, who will do well for themselves. These are the ones he said he likes to provide with opportunities, providing a new boat with good equipment rather than seeing them struggle with an old boat and outdated gear.
Mads Nielsen is familiar with fisheries that Sønderstrand will be concentrating on, fishing in the Skagerrak and based in Skagen, targeting plaice and other flatfish in summer and langoustine in the winter months.
Sønderstrand is fitted out with a new 3XJ flatfish gutting machine, as well as washing and weighing systems for the boxes at the right weight to be stowed in the chilled 54 cubic metre fishroom, which is customised for stacks of boxes eight high in rows of eight. The intention is that this gives the crew time to put the emphasis on handling the fish well, rather than expending effort handling fish and boxes.
Accommodation for the crew of up to six is in three two-berth cabins, along with a spacious galley and mess area.
