As part of our Meet The Fleet blog series, we would like to introduce you to the Baldvin.
The impressive vessel was built in 1992 at SIMEK A. S. in Flekkefjord, Norway, and it was the first new build ordered by Samherji, one of the largest fishing companies in Europe. The ship was sold to DFFU in 2002 and was officially named Baldvin. In fact, the ship has held other identities over the years; for example, for a short period it belonged to an affiliate, and its name was changed to Polonus, but in 2021 it was sold back to DFFU and its name was reverted to the original.
In 2014, the vessel had an extension installed and after the modifications, its length now measures 80.35m and 13.12m wide. It has a gross tonnage of 2,348, and the cold store can hold 550 tonnes – this is the equivalent of around 30,000 full boxes of fish filets.
The ship mainly fishes in the Barents Sea, Svalbard, East Greenland, and the Norwegian Coast. It brings back cod, saith, redfish, and black halibut, then lands in either Cuxhaven in Germany or Tromsø in Norway.
Baldvin has six trips planned for 2023, and the number of crew members required depends on fishery and production. If it is producing filets, around 30 people are on board, but when it is producing headed and gutted fish, it has a smaller group of around 22.
The crew have the luxury of three TV rooms, a gym, a sauna, and a hot tub, and while they may seem the norm now, these facilities were actually considered very modern when it was first built in 1992.
So, what else is in store for the vessel?
The Baldvin will be replaced by a new build in early 2024 – a modern state-of-the-art trawler currently being built by WARD in Norway. The new ship will be equipped with the latest technology, equipment, and solutions for onboard production.
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