Page 11: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (January 1994)

BOATS & BARGES ... KGW steering gear -for Security and Precise

Manoeuvring

New Commercial Fishing Boat: Performance

Through New Design assembly and a Twin Disc MG-506 transmission that transfers power from the 120-hp diesel to the prop shaft via a Kevlar Fiber Chain Belt, supplied by Gates Rubber Company. This setup in the back also provides unlimited engine access for routine maintenance. Besides aiding the handling of the vessel, the engine arrangement provides for big fuel savings, the manufacturer claims.

By incorporating the belt drive propulsion system, the St. Elmo is able to achieve a 4:1 reduction to the propeller, which in essence allows the boat to turn a bigger wheel using less horsepower, Mr. Jatkauskas said. The system can drive the St. Elmo at hull speed (about eight knots) using about 30 percent of the horsepower, allowing the vessel to travel 4.25 nautical miles per gallon. On the basis of an average usage of 2,500 hours per year, the boat would consume only 4,000 gallons of fuel at an approximate cost of $6,000, Mr. Jatkauskas estimates.

THE HOLD

Contrary to its small size, the vessel provides big advantages that make it efficient. St. Elmo

Marine can deliver the "complete package" to potential owners, including a state-of-the-art cooling system for the fish hold which allows operators to keep more of the catch fresh, said

Mr. Jatkauskas. The 683-cubic-foot hold is capable of holding 15,000 pounds of product. The hold is uniquely placed in the center of the vessel, another design feature that allows the boat to remain level on her lines regardless of whether the hold is full or empty. For more information on St. Elmo,

Circle 117 on Reader Service Card

COMPOSITE HULL DESIGN

The St. Elmo 36 vessel is a 36-foot vessel available in three hull designs: full displace- ment; planing; and a combination of the two.

Also available in a 68-foot version, the new vessel line utilizes state-of-the-art hull technology from the yacht industry; constructed using a foam cored hull, which provides tremendous stability while incorporating less internal framework.

The planing hulls are speed hulls, requiring large amounts of horsepower and fuel to help the boat ride over the water. On the other hand, the full-displacement hulls require little horsepower and fuel to propel the vessel through the water.

The St. Elmo moves through the water at eight knots, leaving hardly a wake.

With 4,000 pounds of bal- last, stability is the norm and rolling tenden- cies are report- edly eliminated.

The St. Elmo's Kevlar Fiber Chain Belt propulsion assembly.

PROPULSION

The St. Elmo was designed from the begin- ning as a true commercial fishing trawler, a vessel that would stay level on her lines regard- less of the hold being full or empty. To achieve this, the engine was placed at the stern, away

January, 1994 13

Circle 258 on Reader Service Card

We offer the most modern shipborne equipment.

Manufactured are:

Cranes

Mooring-winches

Anchor-winches

Capstans

Steering Gears

Special winches/several types

Fishing-Technology:

Trawl winches

Seiner- and Net winches

Cable winches

Cranes and all winches for fishing

For detailed information, please contact:

Wismarsche Strasse 380 19055 Schwerin • Germany

Telephone 0385/57 31 -0

Telefax 0385/8120 38

Telex 39 1 1 90

Steering gear built by KGW incorporates well-proven hydro-mechanical and electro- nic modular systems.

It offers maximum flexibility for installation in all types of ship.

KGW steering gear is avail- able in two- and four-cylinder configuration, with separate electro-hydraulic power units for rudder torques of up to 5,000kNm.

Our steering gear is in accor- dance with international Clas- sification requirements and the latest SOLAS provisions. kIeM

SCHWERINER MASCHINENBAU GMBH

St. Elmo Marine of Fort Myers, Fla., in an effort to ride out the recent pleasure boat busi- ness slump, turned its focus to new designs for niche markets. The result: a revolutionary new commercial fish- ing boat, which entails state-of-the-art hull and propulsion solu- tions. At press time,

St. Elmo Marine had a letter of intent for 30 boats from an inter- national buyer. "We realized that the pleasure boat in- dustry was soft, and to be honest, we were having a tough time," said Skip

Jatkauskas of St.

Elmo Marine. So he, along with designer

Charles Jannace, came up with a new era of commercial fish- ing boats, vessels that featured systems and technologies to make the smaller boats as productive, yet more economical, than older, larger vessels, said Mr. Jatkauskas. from the hold and far away from the pilot house and crew.

This was made possible by the drive belt

SI

V :

The St. Elmo 36 Commercial Fishing boat features many unique design features.