Ship designer Western Baltic to launch new trawler design at Scottish Skipper Expo

Leading Lithuanian ship designer Western Baltic Engineering ⁠​​​​​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​⁠(WBE) will launch its latest trawler design at the forthcoming Scottish Skipper Expo in May.\n\nThe design meets the demands of the modern fishing industry with an emphasis on high performance, large cargo capacity and crew comfort.\n\nWBE’s senior sales manager, Chris Cowan, is looking forward to showcasing the new design to the industry at the expo. He said: “We’ve created a ‘workhouse’ of a trawler that doesn’t sacrifice crew comfort.”\n\nThe leading ship design and engineering service provider, based in Western Lithuania, has created a trawler that has a large cargo capacity of 1300m3. LOA of 49,50m and a speed of 12 knots.\n\nThe needs of the crew are also paramount. Designed for 16 crew members, all have single cabins, there is a gym and a sauna for them to use, as well as a spacious mess room and lounge area.\n\nChris said the initial work got underway after WBE was contacted by an Icelandic company looking to remodel an existing WBE trawler design to better suit the market and meet today’s fishing industry demands.\n\n\n\nHe said: “The trawler we have created has a modern hull shape, is compact and is designed to be a hard-working vessel while still offering crew comfort, and stability.\n\nBy maximising equipment on deck and the factory space, we were able to provide a very generous cargo area for a vessel of this size.\n\n“This design is a starting point, and the idea is that we can and will adapt the vessel to an individual client’s wishes. For example, the vessel is currently powered by a Tier III Wärtsila engine, but this can be adapted to suit client’s wishes.\n\n“We have already had lots of interest from clients fishing waters both in Scandinavia and South America and we are expecting that interest will increase when the design is unveiled to the fishing industry in Scotland in May.”\n\nThe Scottish Skipper Expo will take place in Aberdeen. The expo is a high-profile annual event that looks to highlight the very best products, equipment, and services available to the fishing industry.\n\nIt will be held on May 12 and 13 in the P&J Live exhibition area in the granite city. WBE will be exhibiting at stand 122.