Cooke ramps up Orkney operations with combined service and feed vessel
Salmon farmer Cooke Scotland has commissioned a state-of-the-art new build service and feed vessel from Norway-based Moen Marin.
The vessel, a NabWork 1785, is designed by Marin Design alongside Moen Marin and Cooke Scotland. It is a multipurpose single hull vessel built in steel, designed to easily switch between feeding and service work on site. The vessel layout and equipment onboard are tailor-made to fit the scope given by the experienced Cooke site crew.
NabWork 1785 is being built and will be delivered in compliance with workboat code 3 and the latest demands on Tier 3 related to emissions and efficiency.
The feed system onboard is delivered by Scale AQ, with four silos at a capacity of 60 cubic metres. By removing the silos and putting in a flush hatch on deck, the vessel can switch to service work in a matter of hours.
Cooke Scotland, part of Canada’s family-owned Cooke group, is the largest producer of organic Scottish salmon, grown exclusively in Orkney.
The vessel will service some of Cooke Scotland’s most exposed seawater sites on the northern isles of Orkney, estimated to be deployed by June 2026.
Multipurpose vessel
Robin Johansen, Sales Manager UK, with Moen Marin, said:“Fish farming sites in Scotland are not always comparable to other fish farming sites throughout the industry. The conditions on some sites are ideal for creating first class salmon, but not always suitable for remote feeding and monitoring of livestock. The vessel is designed with the sole purpose of efficient production of high-quality salmon in harsh environments, while ensuring the comfort and safety of the crew. The vessel provides the flexibility needed for the fish farmer as a multipurpose platform, in situations that demand service vessel capacities.”
The vessel’s specification is:
- Propulsion – Scania D16 Tier 3
- Gearbox - Nogva HC-258
- Thruster - 2 x PMH ST65-12
- Dynamic positioning – DP0 – Navy
- Bridge electronics delivered by Navy Rørvik, Furuno
- Deck crane- Palfinger PK 65002 M
- Capstans – 2 x 5-ton Tenfjord hydraulic
Stewart Rendall, Orkney North Isles Area Manager at Cooke Scotland, commented: “This exciting new addition to our fleet will increase efficiency and enhance the safety of our staff and capability when farming on high energy offshore sites in Westray. This larger vessel will effectively do the job of the two boats we currently use to service the farms. It has the capacity to carry more feed and deliver it to the fish a lot quicker, therefore reducing feed time per pen and allowing this vessel to service the farm in a day without the need to return to the shore to re-load.
“We have a strong working relationship with Moen Marin who have already delivered two vessels in our fleet, and we look forward to the addition of a third to be built to the same high standard.”
Robin Johansen at Moen Marin agreed: “This vessel is the result of the close collaboration between Moen Marin, Marin Design and Cooke over many years, and we are extremely proud to be chosen as supplier once again by Cooke. We are humble and looking forward to another great project together.”
See more stories like this in the Boats and Barges Sector Focus, on this website.
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