Normandy-based boatbuilder Chantiers Allais has developed baseline trawler designs for discussions with potential clients.
“With our new trawlers, we hope to repeat the success we’ve had with our Surfer crewboats,” said François Allais, clearly stating his aims, as he unveiled models of the company’s next-generation fishing vessels. Backed by the Efinor group which took over the Chantiers Allais boatyard in September 2016 (see Allais, from crewboats to new horizons), naval architect François Allais and his team are pushing ahead with the diversification of the company that continues to bear his name.
Strong potential for fishing fleet renewal
Hard on the heels of the new designs for launches, patrol boats and high-speed interceptors presented at Euronaval 2016, Chantiers Allais surprised many when it announced that it was also working on designs for next-generation fishing vessels. The company is applying much the same logic as it did in the 1980s when it began designing and building crewboats first for Surf, now part of the Bourbon group, then for Bourbon proper. The result back then was the sale of some 320 boats over three decades and a success story for French boatbuilding.
“We see promise in the fishing vessel market for the simple reason that the fleet is old and in need of renewal. Confident that our approach produces good solutions, we have decided to do the same as when we first spoke to Surf about crewboats, namely listen attentively to our clients to ensure that our designs meet their precise needs. So, right now we’re talking to fishers, whose boats are their livelihood, to understand their needs for each type of fishery.”
(© Allais - Groupe Efinor)
Two types under 16 metres
At this stage, our discussions focus on models of two types under 16 metres. The SeaTrawler 1500 is 14.95 metres long for a beam of 6.4 metres. It is powered by 400-hp motor driving a ducted propeller (also known as a Kort nozzle) producing a transit speed of 10 knots with a full-load displacement of 80 tonnes, the 30-cubic metre fish hold accommodating 850 standard Euromed crates. The larger SeaTrawler 1600 is 15.95 metres long for a beam of 6.6 metres and a full-load displacement of 90 tonnes, the 35-cubic metre fish hold accommodating 1000 Euromed crates. Both types are designed for a crew of four.
“These preliminary designs illustrate our approach. They are baselines for our continuing discussions with fishers,” adds François Allais. “They will thus evolve as we talk to more potential clients.”
Superstructures on shock mounts
Given that the designs are still in the early stages of development, the Chantiers Allais team is hesitant to go into greater detail. François Allais is, however, happy to outline their general principles, namely to design rugged boats that are economical and maximise the value of the catch while offering improved safety and comfort and good margins for future refinements. He also mentioned an interesting detail when he said “the superstructures of our next-generation trawlers, which include the wheelhouse and the living quarters, will, like those of our crewboats, be on anti-vibration/shock mounts. This proven Allais solution improves the crew’s working conditions by significantly reducing noise and vibration.”
Translated and adapted by Steve Dyson
(© Allais - Groupe Efinor)
(© Allais - Groupe Efinor)
(© Allais - Groupe Efinor)
