A new hybrid fish farm service vessel is set to join the fleet of organic salmon producer Organic Sea Harvest in an ongoing partnership deal with Inverlussa Marine Services.
The 21-metre long Arthur Douglas, built by Nauplius Workboats in the Netherlands, will take up duties at the Organic Sea Harvest sea sites off the coast of the Trotternish peninsula on the Isle of Skye.
This will also be the first time that Organic Sea Harvest has introduced a hybrid vessel to the fleet, which will reduce noise and fuel consumption during overnights or days when the vessel is stormed off.
The semi-hybrid system onboard the Arthur Douglas uses a battery pack to harvest energy during operational hours, which can then be used to power harbour settings, allowing the generators to be shut down.
The Arthur Douglas has been custom built with aquaculture and mooring operations in mind, with a deck cargo capacity of 90 tons and a 15 ton deck winch. Two deck cranes – one forward and one aft – have lifting capabilities of 72 ton/m and 30 ton/m respectively.
Robaidh Halliday, Organic Sea Harvest Sites Manager, said:“We are pleased to welcome the Arthur Douglas to our sites here at OSH. She has been specifically designed to meet our multipurpose needs. With her large deck space, twin cranes and winch, she will be able to handle anything we ask of her. We have a great working relationship with Inverlussa and we are very much look forward to continuing this with the addition of the Arthur Douglas to our operations.”
Ben Wilson, Inverlussa Marine Services Managing Director said:“We are pleased to continue our collaboration with OSH and appreciate the trust they place in us. Our strategy remains focused on investing in the most up to date vessels and partnering with the industry’s finest crew, with the Arthur Douglas being a prime example.
“We believe Arthur Douglas will be a great fit for OSH operations. It’s a vessel design we’ve had a lot of good experience with, and the semi-hybrid system is a big improvement which will result in efficiencies and reduced fuel use throughout the year. Along with our crew, we are keen to get started!”
Organic Sea Harvest currently operates a landing craft – Bàta nam Bràthairean – alongside three smaller personnel vessels: Lealt, Kilmaluag and Kilmartin. The company previously welcomed another Inverlussa vessel, John Wilson, into the fleet.
