Subject: Walt Raber Takes Delivery of F/V PROVIDIAN, a 113' x 40' trawler designed by Jensen Maritime Consultants
Originally intended as a trawler/crabber for Alaskan fisheries, the F/V PROVIDIAN is now catching herring, for Stinson Seafoods, off the coast of Maine. When Walt Raber and Jensen Maritime Consultants in Seattle began the design process, Raber wanted a large, safe, extremely seaworthy vessel to replace a Bering Sea fishing boat that he had lost at sea.
Working closely with Jonathan Parrott, Jensen's head of engineering, and other JMC naval architects, Raber and the team conceived a vessel with numerous distinctions: With the house forward, the 113' x 40' trawler has a huge working deck--almost 70 feet of open space. Below decks, two pairs of fish holds provide over 20,000 cu. ft. of packing capacity. A circulating refrigerated sea water system keeps the catch cold until delivery to the processor.
Running fore and aft between the holds is a tunnel that connects the forward machinery room to the aft engine room. By putting the twin Detroit Diesel 16V-149 DDECs (1490 SHP each) in the stern, the need for long shafts and shaft alleys is eliminated. The aft engines also help balance the overall weight distribution of the vessel, providing a level trim. Special streamlined pods built into the bottom accommodate the ZF marine gears.
Forward, a finely built bulbous bow dampens the vessel's pitching movement and helps provide a more comfortable ride for crew members in the forward house. Spacious accommodations include five staterooms with bunks for eight, a large crew lounge and the mess/galley area.
"Walt [the owner] is extremely happy with his new boat," says Parrott. "Getting it built was something of a trial because the original yard went bankrupt, but the end result is a well-built, state of the art fishing machine that we are all proud of."
JMC is a Seattle-based naval architecture and marine engineering firm with a proven track record of successful fishing boat designs, from small gillnetters to large factory trawlers. JMC is also well known for engineering vessel modifications to increase power, capacity and seaworthiness.
Length
112' - 10"
Beam
40' - 0"
Depth
18' - 0"
Hold capacity
20,000 cubic feet
Accommodations
5 Staterooms, 8 Bunks
Power
2 Detroit Diesel 16V-149 DDECs, rated at 1490 SHP at 1800 rpm
Auxiliaries
3 Detroit Diesel 8V-92 TA Spectrum 350-kW gensets
1 Detroit Diesel 6V-71 125-kW hotel genset
Builder
Bocono Shipyard, Bayou La Batre, Louisiana*
Designer
Jensen Maritime Consultants, Seattle, Washington
Owner
Walt Raber, Bath, Maine
* Construction began at a now-defunct shipyard and was completed at the Bocono Shipyard. Much of the work was performed by the owner and his family.
