This is the final instalment of our Meet the Fleet blog series, and last but certainly not least, we would like to introduce you to the fantastic Kirkella.
The Kirkella is our impressive flagship vessel, and it’s the only white fish trawler registered in the UK. The super trawler can catch up to 2.3 million fish per trip, which equates to 780 tonnes!
Built in Norway in 2018, the fantastic freezer trawler is 81m long and 16m wide, with a gross tonnage of 3,976. Kirkella is the seventh Hull trawler to be named after the small village of Kirk Ella, the first being the 157ft steam trawler Kirkella H 319, built at Selby in 1936.
The ship mostly fishes in the Barents Sea, Greenland waters, NAFO (Northwest Atlantic) and the Norwegian Sea, and it typically lands in Hull to unload the Frozen at Sea cod and haddock.
Within 6 hours of the fish leaving the water, it is filleted, portioned, plate-frozen and packaged – exactly like our other vessels, it operates with highly automated processing and freezing machinery on board in the factory to deliver high-quality products. After the work is finished, the factory is cleaned from top to bottom ready for the next day.
And storage isn’t an issue: the main freezer hold and fishmeal holds, which are located under the processing deck, are 400m³ and 350m³ respectively. A secondary freezer hold (350m³), primarily designated for storing cardboard packaging, is located near the factory area at the main deck level.
Around 30 crew members are required for each trip, and they work from 6.00 until 18.00 every day with a break in between for lunch. After their 12-hour shift, the team need time to relax, and fortunately on this modern, spacious vessel, there are plenty of spaces to unwind, such as a gym, cinema room, large cafeteria, sauna and even a recently installed luxurious hot tub.
The Collins team were lucky enough to visit the vessel, and when we were there, we interviewed one of the fishermen to learn more about what it’s like working on the vessel.
“We’re a tight crew – we get along well and work together efficiently. Every day is a good day.” – Jonathan Milner, Deck Hand on the Kirkella.
You can learn more about Jonathan’s experience by reading our blog and if you want to see more of the Kirkella, you can watch our virtual tour video.
We hope you enjoyed our Meet the Fleet blog series, and if you would like to stay up to date on news about our vessels, follow our social media pages:
