Bender Shipbuilding Delivers Fish Processing Vessel 'Seattle Enterprise'

Bender Shipbuilding & Repair Co., Inc. of Mobile, Ala., has completed a major reconstruction of a fish processing vessel for Arctic Alaska Fisheries Corporation of Seattle.

The redesigned Seattle Enterprise is one of only four U.S. vessels capable at sea of transforming fish, primarily Alaskan pollock, into lowcholesterol fish paste (surimi), used to make imitation crab meat, shrimp and other products.

Originally a 220-foot steel-hull boat used for offshore oil and gas research, the Seattle Enterprise will be employed primarily for fishing and surimi production in the waters of the Pacific Northwest.

With the assistance of a team of maritime professionals, including Arctic Alaska chairman of the board Francis Miller, Bender's in-house engineering and design group severed the ship at its midsection and inserted a 50-foot midbody to add a main fish net deck, processing deck, freezer compartments and freshwater processing area. The converted Seattle Enterprise now measures 270 feet from bow to stern with a 44-foot beam.

The vessel is also capable of producing fish fillets for the domestic market, or headed and gutted fish for the Japanese market.

Arctic Alaska owns and operates one of the largest American-owned catching and at-sea processing fleets in the North Pacific. The Seattle Enterprise, manned by a crew of 50, will become the largest catcher/processor in the company's fleet when it is placed into service this month.

The Seattle Enterprise is equipped with a 47,000-cubic-foot freezer cargo hold and has the capacity to make 104,000 gallons of fresh water per day. The vessel's two main engines, 1,950 hp each, turn two 120- inch controllable pitch propellers inside kort nozzles and move the ship at 13 knots. Fuel capacity is 140,000 gallons. Four generators operate the ship's processing plant and crew facilities.

Founded in 1923, Bender is one of the largest builders of steel-hull fishing vessels in the world. The Seattle Enterprise is the ninth fishing processor boat delivered by the company for use in the North Pacific.

The company also manufactures a variety of other boats ranging from passenger vessels to workboats and tugs. Bender is a full-service yard with complete drydock and repair facilities.

For free literature giving com- plete details on the facilities and capabilities of Bender Shipbuilding & Repair Co., Circle 88 on Reader Service Card

Maritime Reporter Magazine, page 78, Jun 1988

Read Bender Shipbuilding Delivers Fish Processing Vessel 'Seattle Enterprise' in Pdf, Flash or Html5 edition of June 1988 Maritime Reporter

Other stories from June 1988 issue

Content

Maritime Reporter

First published in 1881 Maritime Reporter is the world's largest audited circulation publication serving the global maritime industry.