Launched on the opening day of the Sydney Olympics, now touted as the best yet, it is fully anticipated that the 30 metre purse seiner ‘Kiana’ will attain a similar distinction.
Friday September 15, 2000 saw Zora, wife of Stan Lukin, launch their new vessel at Adelaide Ship Construction International’s Gillman slipway.
Stan Lukin moved to Port Lincoln and set immediately about fishing, initially poling tuna. Hard work and foresight have seen his enterprise grow since. Today he operates several vessels, and is engaged in purse seining, tuna fishing and tuna farming.
He has previously operated several tuna poling boats and purse seiners including ‘Zora’ mainly for the Pacific Ocean fisher, and he recently decided that he needed a smaller, more economical and versatile purse seiner, suitable for working the Bight and southern fishery. To this end he approached the well-known Adelaide naval architect, Peter James, and chose Adelaide Ship Construction International for her construction because of the yard’s good reputation, and record of providing a good vessel at the right price.
With the lower, South African style profile of power blocks and gear, ‘Kiana’ is well suited to the rougher waters of our southern seas, with plenty of upper deck working space, and roomy accommodation, access to tanks, and to the freezer room on the sheltered main deck.
The sloping stern ramp, combined with the low profile wheelhouse, and her raked bow, give ‘Kiana’ a lean racy appearance, but this vessel is all about business and practicality.
Peter James says the hull was designed to carry a dead-weight of 365 tonnes in a length of 30 metres, including the stern ramp, the maximum all-up displacement being close to 600 tonnes.
The concept is based on a design possessing efficient hull lines, the net and handling system being based on the system favoured in South Africa. The vessel has two working decks, and the complete hydraulic system, including the winches, was manufactured and installed by Graham Hydraulics.
The Simrad SP270 sonar supplied by Quin marine of Port Adelaide is a powerful long range, omni-directional sonar, with a multi-beam echo sounder function, providing the latest technology available for trawling and purse seining, and at the heart of the operation, is installed in a separate soundproof and watertight room adjacent to the engine room.
The power is solidly Caterpillar. Stan chose Caterpillar, as he felt it to be their right choice for the vessel, reliable and with a good reputation, service and availability of spares . He has had a good association with Caterpillar his fleet in the past, and this should be enhanced with the recent opening of a new facility, situated in Port Lincoln, headed up by Barry Ettridge, with a fully qualified Cat technician on-hand. Cat also offer inexpensive spares, 24 hours, 365 days, available anywhere.
The main engine is a Caterpillar 3508 MUI rated at 960hp at 1,800rpm. It is coupled to a ZF BW351 gearbox, with a 2,000mm right-handed Veem “Skewed Thurst” propeller, with 1,250mm pitch.
The hydraulics are driven by a Cat 3406 T producing 307hp at 1,800rpm. The main generator is a Caterpillar 3306 P producing 180kVA at 1,500rpm, and the harbour auxiliary is a Caterpillar 3056 PA turning out 100kVA at 1,500rpm.
Manoeuvring is aided by two 150hp Thrustmaster hydraulic thrusters, one forward, one aft, and the vessel can be controlled either from the surprisingly and pleasingly modern but traditional, wheelhouse, or from the flying bridge.
The large winch console on the starboard side of the main deck allows for single handed control of all deck and working gear, and the impressive power blocks are ideal for Australian waters. sited low as they are, they can handle work in the rough weather experienced frequently in the fishery.
‘Kiana’s’ refrigeration system was designed and built by C.M.Heithersay Industries of Port Adelaide.
The main system consists of a chiller unit, with two vessels each with floating tube bundles and water/brine on the outside of the pipes. The refrigerant used in the chillers is R507 with DX control, capable of cooling sea water to 0ºC or brine to -18ºC.
The water/brine is piped to the individual tanks via ABS plastic piping, and through the C.M. Heithersay constructed chillers for cooling . The chillers are cooled by a condensing set consisting of three Bitzer screw compressors, each driven by a 30kW motor. The compressors are on a common system and cycled dependent on load.
On the main deck the 90 cubic metre dry freezer room has the capacity to freeze either tuna or pilchard product in boxes. The refrigeration system uses a Bitzer screw compressor with liquid sub cooling and a 22kW driving motor. In fact the vessel is serviced exclusively with Bitzer rotary screw compressors which C.M. Heithersay has now been using successfully in the fishing fleet for two years, claiming outstanding performance and reliability.
The accommodation is of the high standard found in all ASCI’s new buildings; air conditioned, with the traditional woodwork, genuine leather seating and gleaming aluminium fittings giving luxurious, but sensible appearance.
The crew of 10 are housed in comfortable two berth cabins, with the skipper having his cabin aft of the wheelhouse.
The vessel will sail under the command of Stan’s son-in-law, Brendan Sheehy, with Tony Maric as engineer, and be based in Port Lincoln fishing for tuna, stripeys or pilchards as required.
‘Kiana’ went out on sea trials in late November and performed above expectations, achieving a speed of 10.5 knots, and easily handling the three metre swell in St. Vincent’s Gulf.
| Vessel Type | Purse Seiner |
|---|---|
| LOA | 30.0 metres |
| LWL | 27.35 metres |
| Draught | 3.0 metres |
| Beam | 9.0 metres |
| Depth | 3.64 metres |
| Speed | 10.5 knots |
| Materials | steel |
| Main Engine | Caterpillar 3508 |
| Location | Port Lincoln, SA |
| Designer | Peter James |
