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Covenant II
launched at Trinity
A large crowd gathered Saturday,
May 9, at Vokey’s Shipyard in Trinity, to witness the launching of Ivan
Russell’s new 65 foot fishing boat, the Covenant II.
Before taking her first dip into
the cold, salty Atlantic water, the Covenant II was christened in the
traditional way with a bottle of champagne. Mr. Russell and his youngest
daughter, Leah, performed the honour.
The Covenant II is a unique fishing
boat. The one obvious feature that distinguishes this $1.3 million steel
and aluminum vessel from others is the location of the wheelhouse, the
Covenant II has her wheelhouse aft. The reason for this change is due to
windage.
With the forward wheelhouse, the
wind has a tendency to blow you off your gear, explained Mr. Russell.
With the wheelhouse aft, however, the windage keeps the vessel steadier
and makes for more comfortable sleeping accommodations for the crew.
The hull will draw approximately 14
feet of water, weighing some 175 gross tones. The vessel will be powered
by a 490 horsepower Volvo diesel engine.
At sea, the crew will be able to
catch 130,000 pounds of fish, thanks to a specialized $50,000 container
system where the catch will be stored in preparation for processing.
The Covenant II is designed for
fixed gear like long liners and gillnets. Mr. Russell will also use the
boat for crab fishing.
The Covenant II is currently docked
at the Trinity shipyard being equipped with state-of-the-art
electronics, including a Global Positioning System for navigation.
Mr. Russell will make his first
voyage in his new vessel within a week or two when he will bring the
Covenant II to its home port at Bonavista.
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