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Home > > MFV Buddy M C 333 Major Fit Complete at Mooney Boats Ltd

MFV Buddy M C 333 Major Fit Complete at Mooney Boats Ltd

 Mooney Boats Ltd has just completed a major refit of the MFV Buddy M owned by Micheal Meed of Crosshaven Co Cork. When Micheal was fishing for mackerel and herring of the Co Donegal coast by in February 2011 he approached the yard to see if they would be interested in tendering for the conversion of his current dry hold into 3 separate RSW tanks. Naturally the yard jumped at the opportunity and priced the job for Micheal and won the contract. Micheal arrived in Killybegs with the vessel on the 4th July and Mooney Boats Ltd began the work on the vessel the following day the 5th July.

 
This was a large refit job and the yard firstly began by stripping out the refrigeration evaporators and took them of the vessel and put them into storage. The labour intensive job of removing all the fiberglass and insulation then began. The yard took over 8 skips of insulation out of the vessel and 1 full skip of concrete from the Floor. This was from the engineroom BH17 up as far as frame FR 27. When this work was completed the yard then removed the lids of the double bottom fuel tanks degassed them and then washed them out prior to any hot works beginning. When the tanks were degassed then were then sealed up again pressured tested to make sure there were no leaks before the new steel fabrication began. Marine Design International carried out the stability work on the vessel and produced the steel structural drawing for the work to be completed which all had to be approved by the Irish Marine Survey office and also BV as the vessel was in class.
 
When all the dirty work was completed the yard then began lining the tanks of the vessel with steel plate. This work basically involved putting a second layer 5mm Lloyds Grade A Steel onto the existing frames of the vessel port and starboard from frame 17 – 27. The yard then welded new 75mm x 50mm angle iron onto the existing floorings and then plated over this with steel plate to form a new steel floor. The roof of the vessel had to be lowered by approx 300 mm so that the vessel would pass stability. This was done by fabricating a new steel structure below existing deck head and then sheeting it with steel plate. The aft Bulkhead on frame 17 had 100mm x 100mm angle iron welded onto the top of the existing frames on this bulkhead. Micheal was keen to increase the insulation depth here as this B.H was next to the engine roomand he did not want any heat transfer. On frame 27 forward a new steel bulkhead was formed again double sheeted so it could be insulated in between. When the fish hold was lined with steel it was then divided into 3 separate water tight tanks. These tanks were formed by fitting steel Bulkheads between the top of the new steel floor and the underside of the new steel roof and were welded fully to take 3 separate tanks.  
 
Each tank was then fitted with new access hatches from the main deck and ladders. Each tank was also fitted with separate bilge suction wells and piped into the bilge system. Micheal again was anxious about safety and the yard piped each tank so that they could be pumped out by 3 separate systems. The yard also modified the existing fish pump out system and each tank can now be pumped out separately by the 10 S/S fish pump system all controlled from above deck by the air actuated manifold which was manufactured and fitted by the yard.
 
In the newly formed central tank the yard fitted 3 watertight bolts on hatches. Michael’s idea behind this was when he was finished his pelagic fishery he could then remove the watertight doors and still use the vessel for white fishing during the summer months. When all steel works were completed on the vessel the yard bored the new double skin and pumped in foam injection to insulate between both skins in order to keep the fish cold. When the foam injection was completed the wholes were then filed with steel punchings and re welded to make sure they were watertight. The yard then refitted the refrigeration S/S evaporators on the roof of each tank and also fitted waterproof lights in each tank. Forward of frame 27 a newly formed smaller dry hold was reformed and fibreglassed back into meet new BH 27 which can still be used as a dry hold for whitefish.
 
Micheal did not fit RSW system in the vessel on this occasion but the yard did preppie the vessels 3 tanks for the system and if Micheal ever decides to fit a RSW plant allot of the pipe work is in place and he will not disturb the paintwork. When all the steel was completed on the vessel the tanks were prepared for painting and a Jotun & Clarke paint system was used in the tanks which was applied by Gerard Bray & Sons. Other work on the vessel include re-modifying the water tank forward, dry-docking the vessel, removal of hydraulic bow thruster and repair, repairs to bilge keel, shaft lift and rudder bearing inspection and report and the vessel was also painted externally.
 
After all work was completed all steel works were inspected by Mike Morgan from Bureau Veritas and approved. The vessel was also re inclined by Alasdair from Marine Design International and witnessed by Sean Cavanagh from the Marine Survey office. The vessel obtained  a clean bill of health from both the Marine Survey Office and BV and she left the yard on the 6th of October and is now back fishing for Herring of the south coast. Mooney Boats Ltd would really like to thank Micheal for choosing the yard for all the work and wish him many years of good fishing with his vessel the MFV Buddy M
 
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St. Catherines Road, Killybegs, Co Donegal, Ireland. Ph: 074 9731152 Fax: 074 9731632 Email: info@mooneyboats.ie
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