#490 – 83,700 m PURSER/TRAWLER - “PATHWAY"
Newbuilding 490 was handed over to Owners, Lunar Fishing Co Ltd, Peterhead, Scotland on 15 October 2026 from Karstensen Shipyard.
On 24 October 2026, the new vessel was named “PATHWAY”, with 5 girls acting, aged 5-11, as godmothers. The young ladies are respectively daughters and granddaughters of skipper/owners William and John Goerge Buchan !
New “PATHWAY” replaces the skippers previous command of the same name, also built by Karstensen, back in 2017. The new vessel will operate along the same pattern as the existing vessel, with a traditional pelagic trawl and purse net fishery, where target species are mackerel and herring, as well as blue whiting.
Lunar Fishing is headed by the well-known Buchan family of Peterhead, and this is number 6 newbuilt “PATHWAY” since the first one in 1973. The Buchans family has a long history in the fishing industry and John George Buchan took command of his first vessel in 1990, with nephew William joining previous “PATHWAY” in 2019.
Karstensen Shipyard highly appreciates the trust Owners have shown, which continues a long standing working relations with the Buchan family. This relationship stretches some +30 years back, first with Lunar Bow being lengthened in 1991 and later with nothing less than 8 newbuildings in the past 15 years. And still, there is a new “Lunar Bow” to be delivered from Karstensen to Lunar Fishing in 2027.
Returning and loyal customers is the best stamp any shipyard can get, as confirmation of their quality and business approach.
The vessel design, specification and arrangements is a result of an extensive and close cooperation between owners and yard where all solutions are optimized and tailor made to suit owners and crews specific requirements.
Main focus were set on optimizing working, safety and comfort for the crew, optimizing catch handling- and storage facilities and optimizing of fuel consumption. In order to reach above targets, the vessel is fitted out with all the newest developed machinery and equipment.
DESCRIPTION:
The hull is built in steel with three continuous decks: 1st-, 2nd and 3rd deck, and with long forecastle- and boat decks. Wheelhouse, boat decks and masts are built in aluminium.
Hull shape of round bilge construction with bulbous bow and stern skeg, moderate Wave Piercing bow and transom stern.
Below decks the hull is subdivided into the following watertight compartments: Forepeak, sonar-/thruster room, RSW pump- and manifold room, insulated RSW-tank section with 14 tanks, engine room with main engine connected to one reduction gearbox with one ducted propeller. Incorporated into engine room area are auxiliary engine room and separator room. All aft aftpeak with fuel- and lub oil- and Urea tanks.
On 3. deck the hull is arranged with: Forepeak, RSW machinery room, RSW-hold/trunk section with SB/PS corridors and central room for unloading (vacuum) system. Abaft hold section SB accommodation area, CL engine trunking with switchboard- / control room abaft. PS corridor and engine workshop. All aft PS/CL hydraulic room with steering gear and SB engine store. Accommodation is arranged with 4 engineers cabins, all with en-suite toilet/shower facilities. In order to create best possible design for low noise, the accommodation is located as far away from the propeller as possible. In addition a number of constructive steps will be made, in order to create a low noise level.
On 2. deck arrangement is: Stores (2) in forepeak, generator room PS and stores (3) with hydraulic valve room SB, wash equipment room SB and purse winch room in CL/SB. Abaft loading deck with centre deck house with water separator and hatches for the RSW-tanks. Water separator and chute system to be built in aluminium.
Abaft midship, full width superstructure with corridor PS. Accommodation in superstructure is arranged with: 8 1-2 man crew cabins, all with en-suite toilet/shower facilities, RSW control room and stairways and corridors.
Abaft accommodation section, large trawl stores / stores (4) PS with net tanks in CL aft. SB to contain recessed net bin with mending platforms. All aft PS recessed deck with fish hose reel.
On 1. deck arrangement anchor winch space / forecastle, with roll damping tanks abaft. Aft of forecastle fore deck with pursing equipment with gallows, fish pump and reels SB. Water separator in CL with deckhousing above. Integrated and connected with water separator deckhouse is deckhouse for accommodation and trawl workshop in CL. PS corridor with connection to lower decks. Accommodation area contains coffee bar, changing room, oil skins room and laundry and stairways and corridors.
Abaft deckhouse trawl deck with 2 net drums in waterfall arrangement in CL and SB net bin, recessed into 2. deck. At transom CL hydraulic stern gate and hydraulic operated guiding pins. On PS of trawl deck egg room is arranged.
On forecastle deck / boat deck 01, mooring winches inside deckhouse/-shelter integrated with foremast. Breakwater on top of forecastle.
On boat deck 01 at midship, deckhouse in centre. On PS of deckhouse MOB deck and –davit and funnel. Abaft deckhouse trawl winches and PS tail end winch to be fitted. Integrated in aft ship construction and boat deck 01 is also trawl gallow, which accommodates 2 main towing blocks as well as tail- and top line blocks. Net sounder winch is fitted on top of gallow. Accommodation in deck house 01 with: Mess room, day room/lounge, TV room, galley with provision room (and separate fridge-/freezer rooms) and stairways and corridors. PS fan room for ventilation for engine rooms and hydraulic pump room, as well as exhaust trunks.
On boat deck 02, deck house 01 with Accommodation to be mounted. Accommodation to contain: 4 officer cabins and hospital with en-suite toilet/shower facilities, trim room / wellness, instrument room and stairways and corridors.
Wheelhouse on top of deck house 02, with 360° view. Funnel with deck PS.
All as shown in GA.
Design principles for main engine / auxiliary arrangement are as follows:
On reduction gearbox, 1 Power-Take-Off, mounted with a shaft alternator, producing 3500 kWe.
To supply additional electric power, the vessel is fitted with 2 auxiliary engines / gen-sets and one harbour gen-set, producing 2 x 940 respectively 1 x 300 kWe.
During heaving/shooting operations at fishing, when the winch system is in use, the gearbox PTO will be clutched in, and electric power will be supplied from the shaft alternator. When there is demand for full power on the winch(es), there will normally not be same demand for power on the main engine. Following the main engine will be power source for both propulsion and hydraulic system.
During normal towing, the shaft alternator will/can be disengaged (from switchboard), and the electrical power will/can be supplied by either of the gen-sets.
The 3 main gen-sets are able to connect into main switchboard, controlled by the vessels DEIF Power-Management-System. Further on bus-bar breaker is fitted in main switchboard, allowing aft thruster to be fed off shaft alternator and forward thrusters and vessels hotel load off the diesel generator sets.
Further on, the propulsion system has a take-me-home facilities, by means of clutch between main engine and gearbox, allowing shaft alternator working as (electric) propulsion motor supplied by the auxiliary gen-sets.
Electrical power system is fitted for sliding frequency (60-50 Hz), by means of frequency converters for 400/440 V and UPS clean power static supply/converter for 230 V. This allows main engine and propeller rpm to be reduced with 17%. Further on, the vessel is fitted with a 2-speed gearbox, giving 2 fixed propeller speed steps.
Above designs and systems ensures an economical and safe running profile of the vessel.
MAIN DIMENSIONS
Length overall.............................................83,70 m
Length between PP........................................77,70 m
Breadth moulded...........................................17,50 m
Depth 1. deck….........................................11,65 m
Depth 2. deck….......................................8,80 m
Frame spacing...............................................600 mm
Tonnage…………………………………4392 GT
RSW-tanks……………………………….3100 cum
Fuel oil……………………………………595 cum
Fresh water…………………………………75 cum
Design:Karstensens Skibsværft A/S
Trial speeds / average;
18,9 knots, diesel-mechanical / speed step 1.
11,7 knots, diesel-electric.
Hull:- built by Karstensen Shipyard Poland, Gdansk, Poland.
Class:DNV +1A Fishing Vessel E0 TMON, hull: Ice-C.
DECK EQUIPMENT:
Hydraulic winches:- all supplied by Karmoy Winch, main system:
2 x Trawl winches90,0 t
1 x Topline winch71,0 t
1 x Tail-end winch57,0 t
2 x Netdrums110,0 t
2 x Purse seine winches40,0 t
1 x End-wire winch20,7 t
2 x Purse auxiliary winches16,0 t
6 x Mooring winches11,0 t
1 x Anchor windlass14,7 t
1 x Netsounder winch
2 x Hydraulic hose reel.
2 x Fish hose reel.
Fish pumping equipment delivered by Sea Quest of Killybegs, Ireland:
2 x Sea Quest fish pumps, 24”.
Purse handling:1 x Nethauler, Tristar Giant40,0 t
1 x Net crane, 7,0 tonnes x 13 m.
1 x Intermediate roller
1 x Float stacker, Storm Cranes
1 x Ground stacker, Storm Cranes
Deck cranes: - all supplied by Karmoy Winch:
1 x Fore deck crane, 4 tonnes x 18,0 m.
1 x Fish pump crane, forward, 3 tonnes x 14,5 m.
1 x Fish pump / net crane aft, 5 tonnes x 17,0 m.
HP hydraulics:Complete drives systems (2 off) winches and cranes, respectively fish pump and associated equipment:
7 x 158 kW pump-units.
2 x 87 kW pump-units.
3 x 110 kW pump-units.
Trawl blocksBrdr. Markussen, Blue Line
Anchors & chainsAC-14, supplied through Max Fodgaard.
ENGINES AND MACHINERY
Main engine:Wartsila 12V31, 7800 kW @ 750 rpm.
Propeller plant:Wartsila 4E1290, d4500 mm.
Reduction gearbox:Wartsila SCV 112/2-PDC68.
Shaft alternator:Marelli, 3500 kW / 4375 kVA.
Auxiliaries:2 x Caterpillar C32, 940 kWe @ 1800 rpm.
Harbour set:1 x Caterpillar C9.3, 300 kWe @ 1800 rpm.
RudderNeuver high lift flap rudder.
Steering gear:Neuver Tenfjord SR722-FCP.
2 x thrusters:1 x Brunvoll FU-74, 1400 kW / 1904 HP.
Starting air compr.:2 x Sperre HL2/105A.
Working air compr.2 x Atlas Copco MAS GF11FF
Fuel oil cleaning:Alfa-Laval P615.
Green Oil Standard WP1-C5-2000
Lub oil cleaning:Alfa-Laval P615.
Green Oil Standard WP1-P3-1500
FO transfer pumps:2 x Desmi.
Remote sounding:API / Marine Control Services.
Pumps:Main engine cooling:Desmi.
Deckwash-, fire- and
bilge pumps:Desmi.
Deck sump pumps:ITT Flygt
Main coolers:Kelvion, box coolers.
Bilge ejectors:Ellehammer.
FW pressure sets:2 x Desmi.
Hot water tank:OSO, 200 l/ 2x15kW.
Sewage pumps:2 x Desmi.
Sewage vacuum syst:Jets.
FISH TANKS:
RSW-system:3 x PTG FrioNordica, each 1300 kW / 1.118.000 kCal/h.
Circulation pumps3 x 960 cum/h, Desmi
Condenser pumps3 x 270 cum/h, Desmi
RSW circulation system with remote operated RSW-valves.
Actuators for valves:Eltorque.
Vacuum-system:Önnereds Svets:
4 x 86 kW compressor units.
2 x 4200 l tanks.
LIFESAVING - FIRE-FIGHTING:
MOB-boat:Viking Norsafe Mako-655 Waterjet MkI.
MOB-boat davit:Viking MDM DAF-375E.
Life rafts:2 x Viking, 20 pers.
Watermist system:Survitec.
Fire detection:Scana Servoteknikk.
ACCOMMODATION ETC.
Wheelhouse:Shipyard.
Wheelhouse consoles:El-Pro, Norway.
Accommodation:Maritime Montering, Norway.
Furniture:Maritime Montering / Ekornes, Norway.
Wheelhouse chairs:Nor-Sap 1600.
Ventilation plant:Aeron.
Windows:Promap.
Window wipers:Wynn.
Galley equipment:Beha, Norway.
Paint supplier:PPG Sigma – vessel completely sandblasted and hot-zinc sprayed.
ELECTRICAL:
LED navigation lights:Den Haan.
Search light:2 x Polarlight LED.
Tank level controls:Mobrey alarms.
Electrical contractor:KS Elektro.
Power management:Deif Delomatic 4 PMS system.
Main switchboard:ScanTechnic, Denmark.
Vessel is fitted with frequency converter for floating frequencies between 50 and 60 Hz.
Alarm panel / IAS:Marine Control Services.
ELECTRONICS
Extensive array of electronic equipment (navigation, fish finding and communication), all supplied by Woodsons of Aberdeen.
Main items:
Display system:Woodsons matrix-system.
Main monitors:8 pcs 55” Hatteland.
24 pcs 32” Hatteland.
LF sonar 1:Kaijo Denki SDS-22 (M-115).
LF sonar 2:Furuno FSV-25.
HF sonar:Kaijo Denki KCH-3180 (M-90).
Echo sounder 1:Simrad ES80.
Echo sounder 2:Simrad ES80.
Echo sounder 3:Kaijo Denki KSE-310.
3D sonar:WASSP 80 kHz.
Current indicator:Kaijo Denki KDG-300.
Net monitor:Scanmar, ScanBas 365.
Radar 1 (3 cm):JRC JMR-9210-6XC.
Radar 2 (10 cm):JRC JMR-9230-SBB.
Radar 3:Furuno DRS6D-NXT.
Ecdis:JRC.
Plotter 1+2:MaxSea Time Zero.
Plotter 3:Olex, 3D.
GPS:2 x JRC JLR-8600.
AIS:Emtrak A200.
Gyro compass:2 x Simrad RGC-80.
GPS compass:JRC JLR-21.
Autopilot:Simrad AP70-system.
VDR:JRC NCG-1900.
V-sat communication:2 x StarLink.
Iridium, Lars Thrane.
Sat-TV system:Intellian.
GMDSS:Sailor equipment for A3 navigation.
VHFs:Sailor.
Autotrawl system:Sea Quest.
ME remote control:Wartsila ProTouch.
Intercom:Zenitel CRM-V.