Knester
VL - 100- AV
| Built: | Karstensens Shipyard |
MAIN DIMENSIONS
| Length Overall: | 75.25m |
| Length between perpendiculars | 70.00m |
| Moulded breadth | 15.60m |
| Depth to shelter deck | 9.20m |
| Depth to Main Deck: | 6.50m |
| Scantling draught | 8.50m |
CAPACITIES
| Fuel oil | 595 m³ |
| Fresh water | 65 m³ |
| Technical fresh water | 175 m³ |
| Lubricating oil | 22 m³ |
| Urea | 36 m³ |
| Hydraulic oil | 15 m³ |
| RSW tanks | 2,410 m³ |
| Tonnage | 2999 GT |
| Design: | Karstensens Skibsværft A/S |
| Trial speed / average | 17.2 knots @ 5,400 kW diesel-mechanical |
| 11.0 knots @ 1,200 kW diesel-electric | |
| Hull: | Built by Karstensen Shipyard Poland |
| Class: | DNV +1A E0 Ice-C Tmon BIS, Fishing vessel |
75.10 m PURSE-SEINER/TRAWLER - "KNESTER"
The new 75.10m purse-seiner/trawler, “Knester”, was delivered from Karstensens Shipyard to Knester AS on September 9, 2025.
Thanks to a good collaboration between the shipping company and the shipyard, a result has been achieved that both the shipping company and the shipyard can be very proud of.
The hull for the new “Knester” was built at Karstensens Shipyard’s subsidiary, Karstensen Shipyard Poland in Gdansk.
Knester AS now owns and operates two purse-seiner/trawlers, “Steinevik” and the new “Knester”. The shipping company was established in 1967 by Knut Stenevik, married to Henny Ester, hence the name “Knester”. The company received a new build in the same year, and in 2007 came the company’s second new build, the former “Knester” (now: “Steinevik”). This new vessel is thus the company’s third new build. The company is owned and operated by the Stenevik and Eliassen families, now with the 3rd generation at the helm, and its home port is Bekkjarvik/Rabben, Austevoll in Norway.
The shipping company operates with combined trawling and purse-seine fishing, where trawling primarily consists of blue whiting fishing west of Ireland. The other fishing, primarily for herring and mackerel, is done with a purse-seine. The new vessel will be operated according to the same principles.
Optimised for Comfort and Efficiency
The design, layout, and arrangements were created in close cooperation between the shipping company and the shipyard. The shipping company has been focused on innovative solutions, and special emphasis has been placed on optimising working conditions, safety, and comfort for the crew. The collaboration between the shipping company and the shipyard is relatively new but also includes repair and conversion work. “Steinevik” was converted for stern pumping in Skagen a couple of years ago. A conversion which has proven to be very successful.
Knester Description
The hull is built of steel with two continuous decks, main deck and shelter deck, as well as forecastle and boat deck with deckhouse. Wheelhouse, funnel, and fore and aft mast are built of aluminium. The hull is built with a round bilge, a transom stern, and a nearly vertical bow with a bulb above/below the waterline. The stern is designed with a knuckle line/bulbous stern and a skeg.
Below the main deck, the hull is divided into the following watertight compartments: Forepeak, bow thruster/sonar room, fuel oil deep tanks and flushing water, RSW cargo section with 11 tanks and a central RSW pump/manifold room, engine room with main engine connected to a reduction gear with a propeller in a nozzle, aft side thrusters, and separate rooms for the auxiliary engine and separators. All the way aft is the aft peak with tanks.
On the main deck are arranged: Forepeak, stores, RSW cargo trunk section, with central rooms for vacuum pump and RSW cooling machinery, accommodation section starboard and engine workshop, engine control room, and switchboard room port side. Aft are net tanks for trawl as well as engine stores and all the way aft a hydraulic room with the steering gear.
Accommodation on the main deck with 4 crew cabins, all with private bath/toilet, trim room, laundry, as well as a corridor and stairs. By placing the accommodation as far away as possible from the propeller and other noise sources, a good basis for a low-noise accommodation is created. Thus, the noise level in most cabins is below 55 dB(A) at 80% MCR. In addition to the placement itself, a number of constructive measures regarding noise insulation also strongly contribute to creating the low noise level.
On the shelter deck are arranged: Stores in the forepeak, a room for the harbour generator on the starboard side and deck stores on the port side, a bilge well tank, a cargo deck with a deckhouse/dewatering box and hatches to the 11 RSW tanks amidships. The full-width superstructure aft of the hatches with a trawl workshop and ventilation shafts on the port side and accommodation on the starboard side.
Accommodation in the superstructure: 5 crew cabins (with private bath/toilet), cinema, coffee bar, changing rooms, oilskin room with a shared toilet, as well as corridors and stairs. Aft of the superstructure is the trawl deck on the port side with 2 net drums and a lowered purse-seine bin on the starboard side. The trawl deck is raised by 500 mm. On the transom on the port side is a built-in hydraulic stern gate and 3 hydraulic steering rods.
Boat deck 01 is built as a watertight deck all the way to the aft edge of the superstructure, aft of amidships. Aft of the accommodation are 2 trawl winches and an end-saver winch on the port side. All the way aft is the raised boat deck 01 and a fish pump with a hose reel on the port side. Trawl gantry with suspension/foundation for 2 trawl and 1 saver block all the way aft.
On boat deck 02, the deckhouse is in the centre. The deckhouse accommodation includes: a dayroom mess, a galley with provision room (and separate refrigeration/freezer rooms), a rescue equipment room, an instrument room, and a shared toilet, as well as corridors and stairs. On the port side of the deckhouse is a MOB boat and davit in an enclosed space, as well as a funnel. The wheelhouse is located on the bridge deck with a 360° view. All as shown on the GA (General Arrangement).
Design Philosophy
The design philosophy behind the main/auxiliary engine constellation is as follows: The vessel is equipped with a 5400 kW main engine and a 3400 kW shaft generator. This provides sufficient power for propulsion during trawling, as well as for the electrical system (primarily side thrusters) during purse-seine fishing. For additional power supply, the vessel is equipped with 2 diesel-generator sets, with a power of 565 and 940 eKW respectively.
The electrical system is built with the possibility of parallel operation of the 2 diesel generators. Furthermore, the electrical system is equipped with a Power Management System (PMS) which manages power consumption and automatically starts the diesel generators. A central UPS/clean power for 230V is also installed, allowing the ship’s frequency to float between 50 and 60 Hz.
This makes it possible to reduce the main engine’s RPM by 17%. Thus, the floating frequency will cover propeller speeds from 125-80 rpm.
Finally, the propulsion machinery is built with a take-me-home function (PTH), consisting of a clutch between the main engine and the gear and a start-up of the shaft generator as an e-motor (propulsion). The above arrangements ensure very great flexibility, high operational safety, and the possibility of fuel- and cost-effective operation.
Text and Photos supplied by Karstensens Shipyard