The ‘Emma Rose’ is the first of her class to be built with a bow thruster, a 50hp Wesmar hydraulic unit, giving her even better manoeuvrability. She has increased storage for frozen product and can carry 180 boxes.

‘Emma Rose’ proudly bears one of the yard’s now trademark bulbous bows, a big plus for the operators giving improved economy and speed, and a boon for the seagoing staff offering much improved sea keeping qualities.

She will proudly take her place in the coming season in the Spencer Gulf fishery. Returning to Port Lincoln for some final adjustments, they will fit a Haldane grading machine will sit forward of the two sorting tables, with adequate deck space for the crew to work.

Loaded she can carry 20 tonnes of frozen product with her air blast snap freezer able to take 180 ten kilogram cartons down to -40ºC, well in excess of DPI standards.

The refrigeration is by C.M.Heithersay Industries, and has two Bitzer rotary screw compressors with oil cooling on R507 refrigerant.

These compressors are operating at much more favourable conditions than the reciprocating type at low temperature and are showing excellent performance.

The pipe work is all steel, and the low temperature evaporators are fitted with Danfos Electronic TX valves.

The engine room is well thought out, giving the illusion of more room than the usual trawler offers. A single Caterpillar 3408B marine diesel engine provides the propulsion. The 365hp, eight cylinder engine powers the vessel via a 6:1 reduction Twin Disc gearbox which is connected, in turn, to the 1.8 metre diameter Veem propeller. The prop is housed in a nozzle for greater efficiency.

The main engine and Perkins auxiliaries, two 108kVA gensets, and the 114kW hydraulic drive, are all provided by Caterpillar, and she carries 50 tonnes of fuel to give her adequate range.

The skipper can monitor the engine room at all times utilising remote video cameras which provide a good overall view as well as having the ability to focus on specific gauges.

The roomy wheelhouse has good all round visibility, and a single console located on the deck aft of the wheelhouse allows for single handed operation of all the deck machinery.

The winches and hydraulic installations are all form EBM Engineering.

Fully air conditioned, the interior of ‘Emma Rose’ is attractively detailed with high quality Nyatah wood work, right down to the coffee mug holders on the console.

A movable padded seat box at the table gives easy access, plus additional storage, and the accommodation area is sensibly finished with hard wearing washable, linoleum.

The crew of four are comfortably housed in three twin berth cabins forward of the mess which is fully equipped with a versatile multi speaker sound system which allows music to be directed to any part of the vessel. The VCR and television are all mounted in the same console which is finished off with the same quality wooden detail.

The wheelhouse is fully equipped, with radios and so on being offset to the starboard side in a wooden overhead console allowing unrestricted vision. The traditional wooden wheel lends and nice touch, and readily at hand are a message display monitor, as well as the CCTV surveillance system. A Daly Watchguard is installed to ensure the Watchkeeper remains alert at all times.