Orkney fish farm's workboat launched in the Netherlands
A £2.2 million workboat destined for salmon producer Scottish Sea Farms’ Bring Head site in Orkney has been launched in the Netherlands.
The vessel is will be the third to be delivered to SSF by Dutch boatbuilder Nauplius Workboats.
“Every launch day feels special - but today is extra meaningful as we proudly launch the third vessel for Scottish Sea Farms, our newbuild No. 29,” Nauplius owner and naval architect Gerrit Knol wrote in a post on LinkedIn.
“After months of teamwork, craftsmanship, and dedication, the hull - built by SupTech Construction - has finally touched the water for the very first time.
“Launched gracefully by the Matador of Bonn & Mees, she is now on her way to our quay in Delfzijl, where our team will bring her to life through the outfitting phase.”
He added: “Moments like these remind us why we do what we do: turning designs on paper into working vessels that make a real difference at sea.”
Ready for the future
At 21 metres long and 8 metres wide, the new vessel, Burra Sound, is large for a workboat and bigger than some service boats that travel between sites to perform specialist tasks. Its size will ensure it can handle even bigger pens than the 120-metre circumference pens recently installed to replace 80-metre units at Bring Head.
“We wanted to futureproof the vessel so that it can accommodate 160-metre pens, should we proceed with our company strategy of using fewer but larger pens,” SSF regional manager Duane Coetzer told Fish Farming Expert in April.
The new workboat is based on the design of Fair Isle, a 23m x 10m multi-support vessel that was also built for SSF by Nauplius, which also delivered SSF’s smaller (15m x 7m) but robust workboat Sandoyne Lass in 2017.
40-tonne payload
SSF has specified that the vessel must accommodate a 40-tonne payload, lift a 12-tonne sinker tube, and be more self-sufficient on-site.
The new vessel is part of a £6m infrastructure investment that SSF has made over time at Bring Head that also includes a six-line, 300-tonne feed barge from ScaleAQ that cost £1.7m and was delivered in late 2023.
This week, Nauplius Workboats was also named as one of 10 winning applicants to the Orange Trade Mission Fund (Oranje Handelsmissiefonds) supported by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency and others.
The winners receive support for a year in enhancing their export efforts. Benefits on offer include participation in a trade mission, international networking support, training and workshops, shipping credit, and a language course.
