MARCO-Seattle To Build Two Alaskan Longliners

MARCO-Seattle shipyard has signed a contract to build two new 135-foot steel freezer longliners for Alaska Frontier Co. of Seattle, Wash.

With the continuing "Americanization" of North Pacific fisheries under provisions of the Magnuson Act, the larger foreign longliners are being taken out of the fishery. Historically, the Alaska longline fishery has been based on smaller "ice boats." Now, however, there is a trend toward larger (130- to 150-foot) freezer longliners, which head, gut, and freeze the fish on board. The new MARCO boats are designed to meet this growing need.

"This is an especially gratifying opportunity," commented MARCO vice president Bob McMahon. "We've been developing this new design over the past couple of years as the situation in the North Pacific has been evolving, and now it's time has come." The new MARCO design is a house-aft configuration with a full-length shelter deck. The ship's fish-processing capacity will be approximately 34,000 pounds per day, using horizontal plate freezers to produce blocks that will be kept in refrigerated dry holds for delivery to port or transshipment.

The 14,000-cubic-foot (400 nvO fish holds will have a capacity of about 560,000 pounds (254 mt). In addition, there will be a 1,000-cubic-foot refrigerated bait hold aboard.

The Alaska Frontier vessels will have complete MARCO automatic longline systems, featuring the CircleMatic baiting and setting machine that automatically baits full-circle circle hooks. Also included will be the MarcoMatic hauler/coiler and the efficient MARCO rack storage system.

Operated with a crew of up to 21, the new longliners will be powered by Caterpillar 3512 diesel engines, rated at 1,175 hp, driving 86- inch, three-bladed CP propellers. Auxiliary power will be supplied by two Caterpillar 3406T gensets with 250-kw generators.

The new construction project follows contracts for three major conversions at the MARCO yard. The yard has completed work on the Westward Wind and Alaskan Command, and at present, is converting the Resolute. The yard also recently completed the installation of a new two-level pilothouse on the 108-foot MARCO crabber Norseman II, originally built in 1979.

The contract for the two Alaska Frontier newbuildings calls for August and October 1989 deliveries.

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Maritime Reporter Magazine, page 84, Apr 1989

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