This makes the sixteenth of her kind to enter the waters of Spencer Gulf, and emphasises the fisheries’ faith in the sustainability and importance of the prawn industry to the state of South Australia. This latest Peter James designed New Generation prawn trawler makes the third vessel to be named Grozdana B, with her former namesake now being renamed ‘Sandy S’.

The Blaslov family had chosen Joe Glamocak, with whom they have enjoyed a long association, and his team at ASCI, to build this vessel to replace the previous ‘Grozdana B’, owing to both their strong relationship with the yard, and their ultimate satisfaction with both that vessel, a proven successful Peter James design, and lately ‘Nansi’ from the same designer as well.

Most notable is the bigger wheelhouse, extended to a full five metres, to allow for the skippers cabin, sited on the starboard side.

Provision has been made to enable ‘Grozdana B’ to tow tuna cages with the addition of a substantial towing bollard. At the end of the bridge deck there is an aerial net bin, suspended from the gantry, giving greater room and unencumbered working space on deck and around the latest model Haldane grader and hopper.

They chose the vessel with a full Caterpillar package, having a long and satisfactory association with the Caterpillar in their fleet, and liking both the availability of spares and service, as well as their proven economy.

The main engine is a Caterpillar 3418TA Marine Diesel rated at 365hp (275kW) at 1,800 rpm, fitted with a 6:1 reduction Twin Disk 516-6 marine gearbox. Propulsion is effected by a 1,800mm diameter Veem fixed pitch propellor within a nozzle.

Two Caterpillar 6056TA series six cylinder in line generator sets rated at 100kVA each provide auxiliary power. The auxiliary hydraulic drive is powered by a Caterpillar 3056T series engine rated at 160hp (120kW) at 2,400 rpm.

Two 70hp side-thrusters gives the vessel additional manoeuvrability, and with the combined advantages in speed, stability and economy gained from the distinctive bulbous bow, the vessel provides a superbly stable working platform.

She carries in excess of 20 tonnes of frozen product, with the air blast snap freezer taking the 240 ten kilo boxes down to -40 degree C.

The wheelhouse and all accommodation is air-conditioned, with the distinctive Danta woodwork setting everything off in a traditional and seaman like manner.

The electronic equipment was provided by Taylor Marine of Port Adelaide and includes a Furuno FR7112 72 naughtical mile 25kVA daylight viewing radar, Furuno FCV 291 colour sounder, 2 GPS GP-31 Navigators, a Furuno GD-280 colour plotter and a TMQ Auto Pilot.

There is also a Kobi CM 100×4 colour monitor allowing complete coverage of the engine room from the wheelhouse using two Toa C-CC354 cameras and an additional Toshiba laptop combining sea plot facilities, all supplied and installed by Lesan Electrical.

Like her 15 predecessors fishing in the Spencer Gulf, the new Peter James designed ‘Grozdana B’ has clean lines, and every boost modern technology can give in the battle to remain competitive in today’s cut-throat markets

ASCI were in fact recently mentioned in the BHP magazine where they stated that this yard now builds more steel ships than all the other shipyards put together in Australia using BHP steel, an indication of the yards output and premier positioning in today’s ship building industry.