Deal signed for new Whalsay seine net vessel

Seven shareholders of the Tranquility fishing company based in Whalsay have ordered a new boat from a Danish yard.

Stuart Anderson, representing the owners of Tranquility Fishing Co Ltd, placed an order for a new 27.5-metre seine net boat with Ove Kristensen of Vestvaerftet Aps, Hvide Sande, Denmark. The vessel is due for delivery in March 2018.

Mr Anderson said the new whitefish boat, to be named Tranquility, would be “completely different” from the existing vessel of the same name, with a different forward wheelhouse and a different winch set-up.

The new boat will be of a type used by many Danish and Scottish fishermen, and will be larger, wider, at 7.7 metres and higher than the old one, which was built in 1986.

There are seven crew, but not all of them go to sea at the same time, and two work on the Serene, also based in Whalsay.

Mr Anderson said the new vessel would be a “lot safer and more comfortable” for the crew, but would undertake the same type of fishing in Shetland waters, and land fish every couple of days, mostly in Shetland.

The older vessel could then be sold. Mr Anderson said: “We’ve had her since 2010 and she’s been good, but the time was right to replace her and hopefully we’ll try to sell her.”

He added he would have to “wait and see” what the forthcoming discard ban would mean.
Another new boat, the replacement Guardian Angell, joined the Shetland fleet this year and a new Resilient is coming to Whalsay next year.