A new $6million longline vessel for Sealord’s joint venture company Westfleet will result in the creation of up to 25 long-term full-time jobs in Greymouth, as well as employment during the build phase in Nelson.
Three years in the planning, the state-of-the-art vessel will be 26m long and incorporate features that make it unique, extending the company’s fishing capabilities and increasing efficiencies and crew comfort.
Designed by marine architects Oceantech NZ, it will be one of only two longliners ever to be built in New Zealand and the biggest.
Westfleet, which is jointly owned by Sealord and managing director Craig Boote, already operates five boats — four out of Greymouth and one from Nelson.
Called Te Runanga after the West Coast town where Mr Boote grew up, the new longline vessel will be sea-ready by mid-2022.
It will be built by Nelson-based Aimex Service Group — a long-standing company which recently completed the Coastguard’s new Sealord Rescue Vessel.
Te Runanga will be 2m longer than Westfleet’s other two longliners, and crucially its fish hold will be almost twice as large, with 110sq m capacity. The greater size enables the catch — the target species being ling — to be stored on ice in 660-litre insulated containers at sea, reducing handling during unloading at Greymouth.
"With a crew of up to eight people it will in effect create another 20-25 full-time jobs collectively with the additional fish it brings to the factory," Mr Boote said.
"That’s massive for the West Coast region."
It will be based out of Greymouth, and strong enough to go into the Southern Ocean around the Bounties.
"Some might think it’ll be too small to venture there, but this boat is built like a tank."
Fuel efficiency was another feature given high priority in the design phase, the plans incorporating a diesel-electric engine system to enable better control of fuel usage.
Special consideration had been given to the crew’s working and living conditions to prioritise staff wellbeing, Mr Boote said.
"We’ve designed it with the living areas on the top level with 360-degree views, and alongside the wheelhouse to promote more engagement between the skipper and crew."
Each bunk, below deck, will also have its own screen with Wi-Fi .
"I’ve tried to design it so that when the crew ‘go home’ to their accommodation at night it’s like going into an upmarket townhouse," he said.
To help avoid bird encounters, the company is also trialling
a laser system as well as a baf-
fler system which it has tried and tested on its other boats.
Sealord chief executive Doug Paulin, who is a director of Westfleet, said it was better equipped for rougher weather than the older longliners.
"It gives access to other fisheries which Westfleet’s smaller boats can’t access.
"This investment is not only exciting news for Westfleet and Sealord as part owner, but also beneficial for the long-term future of the region," he said.
- By Laura Mills, Greymouth Star
