Help! Multihull 4 Commercial Fishing???

[tvlasoff]

Hello All,

I am a life-long commercial salmon fisherman of Alaska. I currently operate a 26 foot, fiberglass, monohull fishing vessel; however, I will be looking to build an upgraded vessel (potentially 30 feet) within the next 12-18 months.

As I carry this project into planning, several things are very important: rough/open water handling, ability to carry at least 6,000 lbs of salmon, inboard diesel power (straight shaft or waterjet), economy/durability, and minimal draft. The vessel will also need to be fitted with standard fishing equipment, such as electronic and hydraulic systems.

I have recently become very interested in advanced hull design (such as catamaran or swath) and next generation power (such as diesel-electric). I am wondering if these technologies can be succefully applied to a commercial fishing vessel, given the constraints listed above. Does anyone have ideas or leads?

Also, as a quick addition, tender vessels in our area of operation are much larger (carrying 80,000 - 100,000 lbs of fish). Would such a platform be better suited to the advantages of these new designs/systems?

Thank you all for your time, attention, ideas, and information.

Tv

[timgoz]

Hi Tv,

Welcome to the forum. Saw in your profile you are a gillnetter. Do you want the new boat to be a bowpicker also?

Where are you fishing up there? I did a season siening in Southeast.

It will be interesting to see where this thread goes.

Take care.

Tim

[tvlasoff]

Tim,

Thanks for the welcome. Always good to hear from another fisherman!!

Here are more details:

The vessel in question will be used primarily in drift gillnet operation. I have fished bowpicker and sternpicker vessels in the past and have only a slight preference for the bowpicker. The bowpicker design seems slightly easier to fish singlehand, but other than that I have no objection to sternpickers.

I fish south-central Alaska, mostly off of the Copper River (Cordova area).
I also spend part of the season in Prince William Sound.

Tv

[timgoz]

Tv,

You'll find that a number of forum members either fish, or in many cases, have in the past. I think Bergalia (a prominent member) fished from the Scottish Isles when younger.

If family obligations did not keep me down here I'd be in Southeast right now. I envy you.

Tim

[lazeyjack]

Bladerunner boat of NZ build a high class cat, for big game and tuna longlining, the cats are ally, and have a foil, they bank IN on turns and work well, they use less power and go faster,
http://www.bladerunnerboats.co.nz/Site/Home.ashx

[timgoz]

I think for a commercial fishing vessel aluminum would be my top choice. Cruising to. I'd have to learn to weld alloy though Stu. At 43 I think I could do it though.

Tv,

Don't know about southcentral, but down in southeast most sieners were steel or wood with a few glass. Gillnetters seems like alot of glass boats and the trollers were manly vintage wood.

About the only alloy boats were run by the lodges.

Must be a $$$ issue in many cases as people hesitate to change. Still can't understand why there are not more alloy boats.

Lazeyjack is an alloy man if you decide to go that way.

Tim

[lazeyjack]

Originally Posted by timgoz

I think for a commercial fishing vessel aluminum would be my top choice. Cruising to. I'd have to learn to weld alloy though Stu. At 43 I think I could do it though.

Tv,

Don't know about southcentral, but down in southeast most sieners were steel or wood with a few glass. Gillnetters seems like alot of glass boats and the trollers were manly vintage wood.

About the only alloy boats were run by the lodges.

Must be a $$$ issue in many cases as people hesitate to change. Still can't understand why there are not more alloy boats.

Lazeyjack is an alloy man if you decide to go that way.

Tim

OH hell tim I just gave you a pos comment and pushed the wrong button neg ****

[timgoz]

Gotta get them glasses checked Stu. No problem friend.

Checked out the link to the alloy cats. Looks like they would work well in the Alaskan fishery.

Take care.

Tim

[Pericles]

We can't leave the Brits out of this.

http://www.alnmaritec.co.uk/category_boats_07.html

How big do you want your boat to be?

Pericles

[longliner45]

cant commercial fish or charter in us waters with a foriegn made boat,longliner

[Pericles]

Longliner45,

"cant commercial fish or charter in us waters with a foriegn made boat,longliner"

That explains everything, including "The best rough water hull you know" forum. You chaps in the US haven't seen just how good are the catamarans built outside the US. All this research and development elsewhere has not been seen in US waters, because you can't buy our boats?

Joking aside, I would be interested to know more about this protectionist legislation, as we would like to keep foreign boats out of UK fishing waters and if only UK built boats were permitted to fish, then the Spanish and French supertrawlers will have to take their destruction elsewhere.

Regards,

Pericles

[lazeyjack]

Originally Posted by longliner45

cant commercial fish or charter in us waters with a foriegn made boat,longliner

that is the most astonishing thing I have ever heard,
maybe thats why US built autos are way behind Euro things with this sort of mentality, I thought USA was a freetrade place, what abt building a foreign design John?

[longliner45]

it was designed to keep american boat yards up to snuff ,,in case of emergancy,such as war ,as for foriegn design ,as long as it is built here ,it ,more than likly will be ok,,remember,,that this only pertains to commercial and charterboats,,,longliner,the other issiu of foriegn fishing fleets in your home waters is a matter for your legislators and coast guard to contend with ,,,good luck ,,I feel your pain