MFV Northern Celt has Major Refit Carried out by Mooney Boats Ltd

Mooney Boats Ltd has just completed a major refurbishment on the MFV Northern Celt. On the 27th January the MFV Northern Celt owned by Adrian Mc Clenaghan got into difficulties of the North Coast and hit rocks which damaged the underside of the vessels.

The vessel was immediate slipped in Portavogie on the 28th January which was the closest available slip where she was inspected by the Marine Survey Office. There was substantial damaged to the doubled bottom fuel tanks port and starboard side, the sonar pipes and limpets, the steam head and which needed to be repaired before the vessel could go back to fish. Adrian contacted Lee Mooney who visited the vessel in Portavogie and they agreed to take the vessel back to Killybegs for repairs.

The vessel arrived in Killybegs on Sunday 29th January and over the next few days the vessels fishing gear and fish room where cleaned out to prepare for the work to be carried out on the underside of the vessel. The Killybegs syncrolift did not have an available slot to lift the vessel until the 11th February and Adrian had been planning to fit a new Caterpillar 3508 Main Engine in the summer of 2011 which he had purchased earlier in 2010 and had in his store in Greencastle. So the decision was made by Adrian to also fit a new main engine at this stage as the vessel was going to be out of action for 6 – 8 weeks anyway.

On the 3rd February Mooney Boats Ltd began disconnecting the main engine piping systems and electrical system for the removal on the old engine. They removed the wooden covered main deck and prepared the steel for cutting to remove the main engine. The gearbox was disconnected and over the next few days the engine was ready for removal. Conal Gallagher was then called with his 70Ton crane to lift out the old engine on 10th February. The following day the vessel was towed around and put up on the syscrolift to begin the repairs to the underside of the hull.

Over the next 5 weeks the vessels doubles btm plates were removed and then new plates where fitted, all under the watchful eye of the Marine Survey Office. This involved removing all the diesel fuel oil from the double btm tanks and then the tanks had to be
De-gassed before any cutting or welding could take place. The fibreglass and insulation in parts of the fishroom had to be removed to gain access to the damaged steel plates above the btm chine bar. The yard also had to remove concrete from the floor of the tanks to gain access to repair any damage. After the tanks were cleaned the engineers cut out the damaged steel plates and then fitted the new steel plates and frames. After completion of al the steel work the tanks were closed up and air tested by the yard to make sure there were know leaks. This was all under survey by the M.S.O.

On the outside of the hull the steam was damaged which was repaired, Soanr pipe was removed and a new one fitted and the same applied to the limpets. Sonatron Ltd carried out all repairs to the sonar’s and limpets. On impact the vessels damage a lot of lights and these were all replaced by Mooney Boats Ltd electrical engineers and all supplied from Mooney Boats Ltd new store.

While the work on the hull was taking place Mooney Boats Ltd engineers’ were also busy fitting Adrian’s new Caterpillar Main engine. The gearbox was also stripped by Mooney Boats Ltd engineers’ along with Patsy Craven from Pat Rynn Engineering and rebuilt when the vessel was in dry-dock. When the engine was fitted the steel deck was welded back in place and a new Iroka 45mm hardwood deck was fitted on top of the steel by the yards carpenter Eugene Byrne.

On completion of all the work the vessel was completely repainted with a Jotun & Clarke paint system which was supplied by Mooney Boats Ltd and was put back in the water on the 18th March 2011. The following Monday - Tuesday the yards engineers’ along with Caterpillar engineers and the MSO carried out successful sea trails on the vessel and she is now back fishing on the east coast.

The complete job which Mooney Boats Ltd carried out on the “MFV Northern Celt” took just under seven weeks from when work was started on the vessel. Lee Mooney Managing Director “Mooney Boats Ltd” would like to thank Adrian Mc Clenaghan and his crew for giving the yard the opportunity to carry out all the work and wish them continued success with there vessel the “MFV Northern Celt”