Stabicraft fleet covers 18,000 nautical miles in Alaska

Kiwi pontoon boats pass the harshest test

The fleet of nine Stabicraft 659 Wheel House vessels delivered to Alaska at the beginning of the year have just completed their first six months of service.

The vessel orders came at a special request from Saltwater Inc, a private organisation that gathers data on wild life and fish stocks for the Alaskan Department of Fish and Game and by the National Marine Fisheries Service.

The boats were sent to the US in semi-assembled form from Stabicraft Marine’s Invercargill factory in New Zealand. In the US, the boats went through final assembly and fit out before being launched in May.

Saltwater Inc has been using the vessels this past (northern hemisphere) summer as observation boats to monitor the gill-net fishery and its interaction with sea mammals and sea birds.

Saltwater Inc Vessel Manager, Chris Denker, says that since launch the boats and their two man crews have been running consistently at least four days a week and have each covered around 2,000 nautical miles.

“In the Alaskan fishery, fishing begins at 12.00pm on Sundays. On a perfect-weather day, crews can depart around 9.30am for the roughly two-hour transit to the fishing grounds. At around 20 knots, the vessels are covering a lot of ground on a daily basis,” says Denker.

Daily operational duties include transiting 40 to 45 nautical miles to active fishing grounds, working in close proximity to fishing vessels, and transiting safely back to their home base in the towns of Petersburg or Wrangell, Alaska. While on the fishing grounds the boats overnight in the smaller communities of Coffman Cove or Point Baker.

The vessels provide a safe platform for observers to collect data between the interactions of the gill-net fishery and marine mammals. Once on the grounds the assigned fishing vessel is located and that particular boat is shadowed throughout their day’s fishing effort.

Denker says that safety was the primary concern of Saltwater Inc when choosing vessels for this project, with Stabicraft’s worldwide reputation for safety and buoyancy being the deciding factors.

“Add stability and manoeuvrability to the safety component, and these boats seem to be incredibly well matched for the task.”

“I feel really good about having the Stabicrafts out there in challenging conditions.

“We have our own safety protocols, and I normally leave it up to the vessel operator to pull the plug when conditions deteriorate to uncomfortable levels, but so far we’ve done well.”

Denker says the performance of the nine Stabicraft 659 Wheel House vessels has exceeded expectations.

“Due to the remote locations and nature of these waterways a normal ‘skiff’ wouldn’t cut it. The water here is either flat glass or dismal with strong winds and long fetches. Any ‘normal’ boat wouldn’t work well out there, and the limitations would soon present themselves,” Denker says.

“There aren’t very many Stabicraft’s up here as of now, but heads are turning, and many people are asking questions. I imagine the stateside reputation is only building in a very positive direction,” he adds.

The on-water the feedback has been positive. Although bare-bones workboats, with very few creature comforts, the hulls have been completely sound and all the skippers feel confident with their 659s.

Built in New Zealand at latitudes in the Roaring Forties, Stabicraft's extreme-weather performance is not such a great surprise.

Specifications

Stabicraft 659 Wheel House

Length Overall: 6.89m

External Beam: 2.36m

Internal Beam: 1.700m

Gunnel Height: 0.87m

Cabin Height: 1.98

Cabin Width: 1.84

Fuel Capacity: 284 litres

Vessel Weight: Approx. 1,100kg

Max Persons: 7

Max Persons Weight: 495kg

Max Load (Persons, Motors, Gear): 958kg

Max Engine: 150hp outboard

Contact: www.stabicraft.com

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Stabicraft fleet covers 18,000 nautical miles in Alaska

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