Sunday 29 December 2024
 4.2°C   WNW Gentle Breeze
Ocean Kinetics - The Engineering Experts

Marine / Brand new Valentia will add safety and comfort for fishing crew

The Valentia steaming towards Vidlin on Saturday. Photo: Ivan Reid

LOCAL skipper Richard Grains says he was pleased how his new crabber Valentia LK21 performed during her 800-mile journey from Valentia Island, in the southwest of Ireland, to Shetland last week

The new vessel arrived at the Vidlin marina for the naming ceremony at the weekend after successfully dodging Storm Dudley on her four-day journey home.

Built by Murphy Marine Services of Portmagee, the 10-metre vessel is based on the well-established Cygnus Typhoon 33 hulls but has been adapted further to give her more stability and seaworthiness for the rough and exposed waters to the west of Shetland.

Valentia skipper Richard Grains. Photo: Hans J Marter/Shetland News

The new vessel is a significant step up from Richard’s previous boat, also called Valentia and built at the same yard about 10 years ago.

The main reason for the upgrade, Richard said, was safety and comfort considerations.

Based at Collafirth he is fishing for brown crab in the exposed waters to the northwest of Northmavine, but also does some velvet crab and buckie fishing and hopes to be able to do some jigging for cod during summer months.

“A major reason for the bigger boat was safety. It is not a great piece of water I fish in, and safety is paramount,” he said.

The new vessel, powered by an Iveco C13 diesel engine, is three feet longer and three feet wider than the previous Valentia and thus gives more stability but also more space for the two crew to work on.

The 37-year-old full-time fisherman has been working creels since he joined the industry back in 2007 and is now on his fourth vessel.

Become a member of Shetland News

£150
£200
£250
£300
£350
£15
£20
£25
£30
£35
£30
£35
£40
£45
£50
£140
£160
£180
£200
£220
 

A member of the Shetland Shellfish Management Organisation (SSMO), the amount and size of crab he is able to land is regulated and monitored. He has a permit for 600 creels and the new, larger boat will not change that.

Richard hopes he will be able to get to the fishing before the end of the month once a marine inspection of the new boat has been carried out and he has taken his gear on board.

His previous vessel has been sold to a new owner in the north of Scotland.

Become a member of Shetland News

Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider paying for membership to get additional features and services: -

  • Remove non-local ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.

£150
£200
£250
£300
£350
£15
£20
£25
£30
£35
£30
£35
£40
£45
£50
£140
£160
£180
£200
£220
 
Categories
Advertisement 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 

Newsletters

Subscribe to a selection of different newsletters from Shetland News, varying from breaking news delivered on the minute, to a weekly round-up of the opinion posts. All delivered straight to your inbox.

Daily Briefing Newsletter Weekly Highlights Newsletter Opinion Newsletter Life in Shetland Newsletter

Your Privacy

We use cookies on our site to improve your experience.
By using our service, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

Browser is out-of-date

Shetland News isn't fully functional with this version of .
Head over to the help page for instructions on updating your browser for more security, improved speed and the best overall experience on this site.

Interested in Notifications?

Get notifications from Shetland News for important and breaking news.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Have you considered becoming a member of Shetland News?

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please consider paying for membership and get the following features and services: -

  • Remove non-local ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.
£150
£200
£250
£300
£350
£15
£20
£25
£30
£35
£30
£35
£40
£45
£50
£140
£160
£180
£200
£220