Innovation is the name of the game when it comes to producing boats that catch fish. This vessel from Commercial Catamarans at Lakes Entrance has some of the most sophisticated electronic equipment ever seen on a fishing boat in Australia.

Another 23 metre boat with 11 metres of beam, this new boat has the bridge forward to allow for a huge back deck area. The boat has been specifically designed for fish trapping and will operate out of Darwin, working in the Timor Sea. The lower deck level will be used for the baiting, removal of fish and landing area for the traps. The upper deck level will be used only for trap storage.

The boat's refrigeration system has been designed and built by Commercial Catamarans and uses glycol as a medium to supply refrigeration to cool rooms, brine tanks and air conditioning. There is a large separate bait freezer on the main deck.

Product quality has been the driving force behind the design and layout of the refrigeration and deck area. As soon as the trap is landed the fish are removed, immersed in a large brine tank, located on the main deck, to quickly reduce the temperature, then packed in ice and stored in refrigerated cool rooms. Fish hold capacity is approximately 70 cubic metres.

There is also provision for keeping fish live.

Horst Fisher has used his many years of experience in fish trapping to ensure the boat is set up in the most efficient way possible for shooting and landing traps and handling and storage of fresh fish. Horst is a believer in getting the best possible product to the market achieves the best return for the boat

The vessel, whilst retaining the basic hull structure, is different to the previous boats from Commercial Catamarans, showing the versatility of the design. This layout would be ideal for an auto long liner, huge back deck area, plenty of bait freezer, huge cool room capacity and the comfort at sea that these boats offer.

Horst Fischer has designed the boat to revolutionise the trap fishery in the Northern part of Australia, and apart from the electronics directly involving the fishing operation, there are some 13 TV and computer monitors in the bridge area. These cater for everything from keeping an eye on the engine rooms, through navigation, sonar with 3D imaging of the ocean floor, thermal imaging, echo sounders and satellite beacon positioning.

All hauling and fishing operations are carried out with electronically controlled hydraulics, including main hauler, rope drum, trap elevator and trap conveyor. Electronic controls for the main hauler are situated at the main fishing command station in the bridge area, and are repeated at the hauling station on the lower deck. Separate electronically controlled hydraulics operate the upper deck winches. Traps are moved between decks with a hydraulic elevator.

The boat left Lakes Entrance two weeks prior to Christmas 2002 for the trip to Darwin with Skipper Mark Perry and three crew as well as Mark's 9 year old son Stephen who is looking forward to the 12 day trip, as well as getting home for Christmas.

Mark, who has extensive experience fish trapping in the Timor Sea is keen to start using the new technology on board and is confident of success in a fishery that is still relatively new and has considerable room for development.

Two Iveco 400hp motors enable the boat to cruise at 13 knots with a top speed of 14. There are also two 180 kva alternators, driven by 6 cylinder Ivecos.

The second in this series of trap boats is already underway to be ready by mid 2003 and negotiations are continuing for a third. It would be surprising if an auto long liner wasn't on the drawing board very soon.