Sapphire – Lobster Boat Design
“Sapphire” was the last lobster boat design by Southerly Design’s before Ohana in 2014, and the last lobster boat built by Western Boat Builders before the crash in the lobster market in the early 2000’s. Sapphire’s main design focus was on keeping costs low, therefore the vessel was designed as a day boat with a basic fit out; only requiring a small live tank of 14 baskets and no on-board accommodation or generators. A secondary design consideration was speed. Due to being a day boat it was required to be able to reach the fishing zone, fish and return to port within a day. With the vessel having a top speed of 25 knots and a cruising speed between 18-20 knots, this allowed the vessel to reach the fishing zone faster, resulting in a greater amount of time spent fishing.
Specifications
| Vessel Length | 17.7 Meters |
|---|---|
| Launch Date | Oct 2003 |
| Vessel Type | Lobster Fishing Vessel |
| Survey Class | USL 3B |
| Builder | Western Boat Builders |
| Construction Material | Marine Grade Aluminium |
| LOA | 18.6 m |
| Beam | 5.5 m |
| Main Engine | Caterpillar 3412E |
| Propulsion | Fixed Pitch Propeller |
| Speed Max | 25 kts |
| Speed Cruise | 18 - 20 kts |
| Fuel Capacity | 5,000 L |
| Freshwater Capacity | 250 L |
| Accommmodation | 4 |
| Live Tank Capacity | 14 Baskets |
| Crew | 4 |
| Passengers | 0 |
Design Types: Fishing Vessels
