Scottish fishermen prefer Danish Shipyard and Danish CP marine gear and propeller manufacturer

by Hundested Propeller 1 Aug 2023 12:28 BST

Harsh weather and high seas require hardy fishermen and boats alike. Lunar Fishing, which has been hailing from Peterhead, Scotland, for many years, knows this better than most © Lunar Fishing

When the Scottish fishermen from Lunar Fishing sail out on week-long trips in the North Sea and the Atlantic, they sail on ships built by Danish Karstensens Shipyard and with CP-propulsion equipment, propellers, and thrusters from Danish Hundested Propeller.

Harsh weather and high seas require hardy fishermen and boats alike. Lunar Fishing, which has been hailing from Peterhead, Scotland, for many years, knows this better than most. The experienced fishermen often spend their fishing time in the North Sea and the Atlantic off the Scottish coast, where they trawl and pair trawl for whitefish for the UK and the European market.

Currently, Lunar Fishing has four custom-built boats in use. These were all built at Karstensen's Shipyard in Skagen, Denmark, which has installed CP Marine Gear, propellers, and thrusters from the market-leading Danish manufacturer, Hundested Propeller, in two of the vessels. According to fisherman Philip Stephen, there's a good reason for this:

- In the conditions we often operate in while at sea, we must have full confidence in our boats. When the weather is at its worst, the stress on the engine can easily reach almost 100 percent. It goes without saying that we need extraordinary, high-quality equipment, says Philip Stephen, who has fished for Lunar Fishing for nearly 16 years. He adds:

- Karstensens has long been a trusted supplier for us. So, when they recommended Hundested Propeller, we weren't in doubt. Subsequently, Hundested Propeller's solutions have become a requirement for us on all future ships because we know what we are getting, and we know the machine parts can withstand the tension and stress they are exposed to.

Kent Damgaard, director and marine engineer at Karstensens Shipyard, elaborates:

- Companies such as Lunar Fishing are interested in innovative solutions that optimize fuel consumption and thus reduce the CO2 footprint as much as possible. In this field, Hundested Propeller is very skilled at designing propellers so that the customer gets the best possible solutions, both in terms of quality of equipment but also in terms of best possible utilization. We have used Hundested Propeller's solutions for more than two decades, and we will continue to do so, says Kent Damgaard.

Service and support are just a call away

With over 8000 hours spent at sea each year, Lunar Fishing's vessels are pushed to the limit in to spend as long time at sea as possible and maximize yield. Likewise, avoiding downtime is critical for turnover, and problems with machine parts often need to be solved on the spot to avoid sending the vessel back to port. Luckily, this is rarely an issue, Philip Stephen says:

- We always bring spare parts on the boats, and we can deal with problems with machine parts while at sea. However, if the problem is more complex, it's absolutely crucial that we can get support from the manufacturer right away. In my sixteen years fishing we only needed extended support once and Hundested Propeller got us back up and running quickly after just one call, Philip Stephen says.

If it's necessary to return to port earlier than expected the fishermen trust in the rapid response time promised by the Danes.

- If we can't repair the vessel ourselves, we know that Hundested Propeller will send technicians within a few days' maximum. They provide unparalleled service and after-sales support, which is a decisive factor when we choose a supplier for our vessels, says Philip Stephen. He adds that Lunar Fishing has ordered two new large custom-built fishing boats from Karstensens Shipyard for delivery in 2024. Both will contain propulsion equipment from Hundested Propeller.

Facts:

Ocean Harvest PD 198