Macduff Ship Design developed a new scalloper design incorporating a more efficient hull form and a new stern gear package designed to improve fuel efficiency. Macduff was founded in 1940 and is now part of the Macduff Group. They specialize in new fishing, workboats up to 90 feet long, and ship repair for vessels up to almost 200 feet. Hook and Net Mag shared that the vessel's original brief had been for F/V Eternal Promise’s sister ship, Eternal Light, which has been fishing since 2019 for Fraserburgh, UK company Whitelink Seafoods. The new design of the Eternal Promise provides more deck and gear space and better crew conditions.

The 65-foot scallop vessel has a fish hold capable of holding 66000 pounds of bagged scallops. It is designed to operate year-round in European waters and is a substantial addition to Whitelink’s growing fishing fleet.

The Wolfson Unit, founded in 1967, comprised of full-time professional engineers who offer competitive consultancy rates and meet the tight schedules of commercial projects. They are best known for ship model testing and industry aerodynamics. The Unit was commissioned to run case studies of three hull forms before the Eternal Promise hull was chosen. Hook and Net shared that the sister ship, Eternal Light hull, provided a solid benchmark for hull resistance, while two other hull forms used the same basis but with variations of the bulbous bow to help identify the best shape to reduce overall resistance. 

Both hull options were promising in reducing hull resistance at speeds of 8 to 10 knots, but one showed slight improvement over the other. Given the increased hull size and displacement, the best option was chosen. In addition to the bulbous bow, the steel double-chin-form hull features a transom-curved stern, while the wheelhouse and masts are fabricated in aluminum. Aft of the engine room features crew rooms that accommodate seven people. The fish hold is in the middle of the vessel, and a large freshwater tank is forward of the collision bulkhead. Airo-tech Solutions Ltd supplied and fitted the fish hold refrigeration system and the ice machine in the forward whaleback.

There is a full galley with storage located on deck level. Macduff and Northeast Fabrications built the catch handling system, including the conveyors to help manage catch. Macduff supplied tailored deck equipment, including heavy-duty split winches with Hagglunds compact CA100 motors. The hydraulic tipping doors, outriggers, and catch conveyors fitted on both sides of the vessel are manufactured by Macduff at their yard. JC Hydraulics supplied the two large Bopp Gilson winches, and Thistle Marine supplied the MFB8 landing crane.

Hook and Net shared that a lot of careful thought went into selecting the propulsion package for Eternal Promise. The choice was the Masson Marine W6400 gearbox with a 7.446:1 reduction, coupled with a Mitsubishi S6R2 engine, which resulted in a slow propeller speed of 181 rpm at full throttle and around 110 rpm when towing at typical landings.

To read more about F/V Eternal Promise, visit here.