Karstensen Shipyard to build new Astrid for Johansson family

Behind the company is the well-known fishing family Johansson from Rörö, Sweden and Mogens Ørts Jensen. The Johansson family consists of three generations, of which senior, Leif Johansson, 85 years old, is still active. The next generation, Börje and Tomas Johansson have operated for many years as skippers on Astrid Marie and Astrid respectively. 

The youngest generation so far is Daniel and the brothers Kristian and Johannes Johansson. This generation will be responsible for the daily operation of the new vessel. 

The company’s current “Astrid” has quotas for pelagic consumer and industrial fishing, primarily herring, mackerel and blue whiting. The new vessel must be operated according to the same principles. The current “Astrid“, which was delivered by Karstensen’s Shipyard in 2014, has been sold and will be taken over by the Norwegian shipping company “Herøyfjord” in April 2021. 

The Johansson family expresses satisfaction at having the opportunity to build another new ship in close collaboration with Karstensen’s Shipyard.

The entire shipping company is looking forward to the agreement and to getting started with the construction. 

At the moment, Karstensen’s Shipyard has “Astrid-Marie ” under construction for the Company’s Swedish department, and the Shipyard is humble and happy for the loyalty and trust that the Johansson Family shows by contracting another newbuilding! It is a great pleasure for the Shipyard to be allowed to work with this far-sighted and innovative Shipping Company, which has been one of the absolute leaders in Denmark and Sweden for many years. 

Rederi and Værft have worked intensively together over the past few years, to create a concept which, by the Company, is assessed as both financially and not least technically very attractive. 

There has been great focus on the ship’s operating pattern, with long voyages. The size of the vessel is necessitated by the Company’s requirements for flexibility in relation to future fishing opportunities. It is assessed as a predominant probability that the fishery will develop and remain in other places than at present. 

The entire concept of the ship, and not just propulsion systems or winches, has been carefully assessed and calculated on the basis of the Company’s exact operating profile. 

It is the Company’s stated goal to carry out sustainable fishing with minimal NOX / CO2 emissions per kg of fish caught. This has resulted in a well-thought-out and well-calculated combination of new solutions and well-proven events, which together provide the most economical and climate-optimized project. 

As part of the propulsion system, the propeller system is optimized for the operating pattern, where the majority (about 80%) of the time is free-sailing, with a large, single propeller. 

The new “Astrid” will be equipped with electric winches and electric fish pump. 

Design, interior design and events have been created in a very close collaboration between Rederi and Værft. 

The company has been concerned with innovative and optimized solutions, partly based on the very positive operations of recent years on the current “Astrid“. 

Particular emphasis has been placed on optimizing working conditions, safety and comfort for the crew. Like the other 15 newbuildings that the Shipyard has under construction for shipowners in Ireland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark, the new “Astrid” is also of its own design. 

As for the choice of suppliers and components, then a number of these must finally be selected in the coming weeks. 

Here, too, the Company’s focus will be on sustainability, quality, innovation and reliability. The hull of the new “Astrid” will be built at Karstensen Shipyard Poland, and the finished ship will be delivered in May 2022. 

The contract is among the most valuable entered into by Karstensen’s Shipyard on any fishing vessel.