Omega Shipyard Inc. of Moss Point, Miss., recently delivered a new, state-of-the-art menhaden seiner, F/V Tangier Sound, to Ocean Harvesters in Reedville, Va.
The 165’x40’x12’ steel hull vessel will be fished in Chesapeake Bay and in the Mid-Atlantic region. The vessel’s hull was originally used as an offshore oil supply vessel (OSV) and was about to be scrapped when it was purchased by Ocean Harvesters for $250,000. Omega Shipyard Inc. has done a $9 million conversion on the vessel.
Ocean Harvesters CEO Monty Diehl said OSV hulls make good menhaden steamer platforms. For many decades the industry used scrapped steel hull World War II freighter vessels for “fish steamer” conversions. The use of the term goes back to the days when large purse seine fishing boats were powered by steam engines.
Even though steam engines have long ago been replaced with diesel engines, the 150-foot plus diesel powered vessels on Chesapeake Bay are today still referred to as fish steamers. Before steam engines, sail powered schooners, bugeyes and pungies were used in the bay’s menhaden purse seine fishery that goes back to the late 1860s.
Omega Shipyard Inc.’s previous OSV hull conversions that have come to the Chesapeake have all been powered by rebuilt and reused Caterpillar or Detroit Diesel engines pulled out of old fishing boats. Tangier Sound has two new Cummins KTA38 model, 12 cylinder, 38-liter diesel engines, rated at 1350 h.p. that will push the vessel 13 knots, burning 55 gals. of fuel an hour.
“We have been having problems finding parts for the older, rebuilt engines, so we decided to go with all new engines in our future builds,” says Diehl. “The Cummins engine is a tough, clean running engine that will burn less fuel.”
The firm fishes six fish steamers on Chesapeake Bay and in Atlantic Ocean. Tangier Sound will replace the steamer Tideland. The Tideland is going to be scrapped and used to create an artificial reef.
“We hope it will be used in Virginia but this state, unlike some other states, does not allocate much funding towards prepping boats for use as a reef,” says Diehl. “We donate the boat to the state that has the will to pay for it to be prepped and cleaned before being sunk for a reef.”
Tangier Sound has two Vilter AMC 450 XL refrigeration compressors powered by two 6860 John Deere engines, rated at 230 h.p. each. The hydraulic driven anchor winch is powered by a Baldor/Reliance Super-E (electric) motor, 1760 RPMs, 230/460 volts with Texcel HS4K-16 hydraulic hoses. There is also a 4,500 gal. potable water tank; 7,800 gallon capacity fuel tank; and air conditioning includes 2 five-ton cooling and heating units and a mini split unit for the pilothouse.
A new feature on this boat is a Simrad sonar unit that lowers down under the water from the bottom of the boat to spot fish. The two main Cummins diesel engines work through a 6:1 Twin Disc reduction gear. There are four Braden “hardening” winches rated at 12,000 lbs. each on the boat to be used to harden the net enough to bunch fish together, in aiding fishermen to off-load fish from the purse seine into the steamer’s refrigerated fish hold.
Comfortable living accommodations are built into the boat for 17 crewmen. The captain has his own captain’s quarters with bedding, head and shower and crewmen room in two or four well- designed bunk cabins. The galley and eating room are conveniently laid out for cooking and eating on the boat, The pilothouse is arranged with electronics and steering close at hand and West Coast-style windows provide for good visibility.
“Every time we build a new boat it is the best menhaden vessel that has ever been built,” says Diehl. Ocean Harvesters held a press conference at its plant in Reedville on Monday, Sept. 15 to introduce Tangier Sound as part of the fleet. The press was given a tour of the boat, along with a 45-minute ride on the boat.
Omega Shipyard Inc. in Mississippi is currently rebuilding Bulldog, one of the oldest menhaden steamers still fishing in the Gulf’s menhaden fleet.
