New Mussel Dredger ‘Lottie Holly’ from Damen

From October 2013, the telemagenta ‘Lottie Holly’ will brighten the Welsh waters working the mussel beds of Myti Mussels Ltd. Since its inception in 1982 this will be the fifth new mussel dredger that this family firm has commissioned and the fourth from Maaskant Shipyards Stellendam, part of the Damen Shipyards Group.

The relationship started back in 1988, when a Maaskant mussel winch was purchased in Stellendam (the Netherlands) for their first boat. Since then the 24-metre BS-449 ‘Mytilus’ was delivered by Maaskant in 1999, followed by the 43-metre BS-8 ‘Valente’ in 2003.

In 2004 the innovative 21-metre mussel harvesting barge BS-1 ‘Lôlipop’ was designed and built. The present 24-metre vessel BS-12 ‘Lottie Holly’ is developed to replace the ‘Lôlipop’ and also to perform fishing duties further afield.

Dual purpose

The dual purpose roles of fishing and harvesting, coupled with the strict UK fishing vessel regulations have dictated its shape and form. The eye-catching colour of the hull was chosen by Mrs. Valerie Mould, who together with Mr. Kim Mould are the sole owners of Myti Mussels Ltd.. Mr. Mould worked closely with Maaskant Shipyards to specify and bring this novel concept to a successful conclusion.

The m.f.v. ‘Lottie Holly’, a.k.a. BS-12 (after its home port Beaumaris in Wales, UK) is being handed-over to Myti Mussels owners Valerie and husband Kim Mould on September 28 in Yerseke. This Dutch fishing-port will be the main destination of Myti Mussels harvest. It is this wholesale (distribution) route that has determined the vessel’s configuration with two rigs.

“We use 1,200-kilo big bags to truck our catch overnight from Bangor to Yerseke. The bags are filled on board, directly after mussel flushing, instead of bulk storage in the ship’s holds for onshore packaging”, Mr. Mould explains.

Merai Strait

With its eye-catching hull – Mrs. Mould picks a different colour for each vessel and also designs the vessels’ interior – the ‘Lottie Holly’ can be seen, or rather cannot be missed, when working in the Merai Strait. This strait, separating the Isle of Anglesey from the Welsh mainland, is the vessel’s home stage. Here, Myti Mussels Ltd. has its mussel banks where the handy BS-12 will first seed and later net the mussels, or will be transporting in rest sea areas. The mussel seed fishing, where it all starts, is in the Irish Sea off Anglesey.

Main characteristics & design

The fishing vessel was designed by Myti Mussels Ltd. and Maaskant together, with Bruce Roberts Europe B.V. as final construction designers. The m.f.v. ‘Lottie Holly’, or BS-12 has yard number 611.

The mussel dredger has two holds, a mussel flushing bunker and two propulsion engines. The aft deckhouse with the wheelhouse on top leaves the crew free main deck space from three sides.

A 4-drum winch holds 300 metres of 16 mm fishing wire. There are two rigs and a hydraulic marine-type deck crane with a 2.15-tonne SWL at 7,00 metres. The length (perpendiculars) is 23.62 m, the beam 10 m and the depth 2.65 m. The Lottie Holly is equipped with an accommodation for 3 crew.

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Press Release, September 19, 2013