Johnson Marine adds to its net-washing armoury
Shetland-based wellboat and aquaculture services provider Johnson Marine has ordered two new Racemaster 3.0 net-washing robots from Norwegian firm MPI (Multi Pump Innovation).
The latest order follows Johnson Marine’s purchase of two Racemaster net cleaners last August, and takes the number of MPI machines it owns to four.
Last July Johnson Marine merged with Norwegian wellboat operator GripShip AS to form Aquaship AS in a move that allowed them to more efficiently leverage finance for expansion, although both companies continue to operate independently.
Pleased with performance
“Johnson Marine is very pleased with the performance of the new Racemaster net-washing robot. We now have washing operations in Shetland, Scotland, Iceland, Spain and Croatia,” said operations director Dean Johnson in a press release.
MPI managing director Kåre Myrvåg said: “There is nothing better than when well-known service companies come back with additional orders. It confirms that our washers live up to both Johnson Marine’s and their clients’ expectations and strict requirements for reliability, operating costs and cleaning ability.”
The Racemaster 3.0 follows in the footsteps of MPI’s first-generation “Terminator” robot and second-generation RONC - remotely operated net cleaner. It has a washing width of 1.9 metres and four drums enable the laundry robot to stretch the nets taut, which MPI says improves both climbing and cleaning properties and manoeuvrability on loose nets and in demanding sea conditions.
Nozzle settings
The robot’s large washers also have a number of alternative nozzle settings, which MPI says will provide improved cleaning capacity and quality.
In addition, the robot has easy access to the most important components, so that operators can perform maintenance on-site without the assistance of an external service technician.
Johnson Marine is the largest on-site net washing company in Scotland. It operates eight dedicated cleaning systems and has its own engineering unit to maintain them. The company also operates nine well boats and seven service vessels across Europe.
Last year the company announced that it had ordered a new 15-metre service vessel from the Norwegian shipyard Moen Marin AS to service the aquaculture industry in Iceland. The vessel is due to be delivered in spring.
