Cat® marine engine rebuild keeps trawler Crystal Sea in peak performance
Trawlermen Alec and David Stevens are safeguarding the future of their family business by investing in a robust marine engine overhaul using guaranteed Caterpillar® remanufactured parts.
The brothers turned to Finning UK & Ireland to supply the trusted genuine Cat Reman and OEM parts for the C32 engine rebuild, to ensure their fishing vessel Crystal Sea remains a safe, reliable and profitable part of its fleet.
Strategically planned to fit around fishing operations, Finning is working with Crystal Sea Fishing to optimise the capability and performance of the trawler while minimising any downtime.
Alec and David took delivery of Crystal Sea from Macduff Shipyards five years ago. The 24.5 metre twin rig trawler fishes from Newlyn, where the Atlantic Ocean meets the rugged Cornwall coast.
Sustainability is core to the management of the business, with the co-skippers taking part in several Fisheries Industry Science Partnership projects. The engine rebuild project reflects their continuous efforts to balance the need for power and performance with cost-effective efficiency while protecting resources.
Alec, Joint Owner of Crystal Sea Fishing, said with the C32 operating as the main engine there is no room for compromise when it comes to keeping the trawler running.
“Crystal Sea is in constant use making it critical for us to rely on the availability of parts for maintenance,” he said. “As the boat has only one engine, quality assurance is essential as any failure has serious implications for the business and the working crew.
“We know the remanufacturing techniques used on the Cat Reman production line are rigorous and that’s the game-changer for us. The parts are restored to a like-new condition and for us that means having the power and ability to withstand some of the toughest conditions out at sea. The return is reduced costs, reduced downtime and reduced waste.”
Often misunderstood for rebuilt, remanufactured parts are not a repair, refurbished or recycled product, but are restored through a rigorous engineering process to a like-new state. Parts are disassembled, cleaned and inspected, before being remanufactured by replacing parts in a sub-assembly to perform to the highest standards.
The team at Finning will revisit Crystal Sea to program the fuel injectors, conduct a full power sea trial, and make necessary adjustments to ensure the engine is operating efficiently before it continues its service.
Kyle Turton, Product Support Account Manager at Finning, explained: “Through a ‘committed planned repair order’ (CPRO) we were able to ensure parts availability for the exact planned overhaul dates, enabling minimal downtime and lower costs. Compared to new, Cat Reman parts are 45-85 percent of the cost of new and use 80-90 percent less raw material. In offering both sustainability and cost benefits, as well as parts guarantee, remanufactured products deliver like-new quality and are made to last.
“Rebuilding an engine as a preventative measure is a much cheaper option than waiting for engine failure and allows us to support customers through supply chain resilience to keep to schedule and be fully operational within a short window. Using genuine parts not only offers reliability but also keeps fuel consumption costs down, supporting long-term cost-efficiency and lower emissions.”
Alec said it was important to the family business that it continued the valued partnership established with Finning by his late father David Snr.
He added: “Even though the engine has been in service for five years with no real issues, we’re rebuilding it to ensure system longevity. We turned to Finning because we have a longstanding history of using Cat engines and a strong relationship with the team at Finning who provide a wealth of support as needed.”
To find out more about Cat Reman parts, visit https://www.cat.com/en_GB/products/new/parts/reman/the-cat-reman-difference.html
