ST HELENA BAY-based GRP fishing vessel moulder Tallie Marine is soon to deliver its first 10 metre long Little Elephant inshore boat - and a 27 metre low-temperature freezing tuna vessel.

The Little Elephant design fits-in with prawn trawling rules in Mozambique. If a vessel is under 10 metres and below 100 hp, the operator needs only a permit instead of a licence.

Anton Tallie of Tallie Marine is aiming this vessel at African inshore fisheries and he describes her as a fat displacement boat. She has a flat bottom with a shallow keel to give a draft of only 900 mm, so the vessel can ground in mud between tides with minimum list when prawn trawling.

A very strong 4500g per sq. metre hull lay-up is specified, with double lay-up in the keel and bow sections, plus foam frames.

The Little Elephant can also go light bottom trawling and even purse seining - and accommodation for seven can be planned in.

The boat is designed for a speed of eight knots when fitted with an engine such as a Detroit VM or a Perkins sixcylinder diesel. Selection of engine make is expected to be based on the local availability of spares.

"People are looking for inexpensive boats, " Anton Tallie tells FNI. He says that a line-fishing version of the Little Elephant would cost about $50,000 and an owner would just have to add the lines to go to sea. The line version has a small wheelhouse aft, simple steering and no accommodation.

A prawn trawling version would cost about $90,000, as this boat requires hydraulic winches (which the yard builds) and additions such as forward engine and steering controls, plus accommodation.

Anton Tallie aims to standardise the vessel as much as possible, also to do the maximum work in GRP when the hull is still in the mould.

He says that it would be possible to build a second mould to speed production of this low-cost vessel if demand is strong.

The Little Elephant has been model-tested in harbour and the first - for a Walvis Bay, Namibia, longlining venture - is due for delivery shortly. Enquiries for the Little Elephant have come in so far from Mozambique, Angola, Portugal and Isreal.

"The Little Elephant suits people who want a boat that is durable, but not costly, " says Anton Tallie.

The yard has 14 vessels to complete this year and out of the largest mould has come a 27 metre (90 ft. ) x 8.5 x 3.2 longliner equipped to freeze tuna down to -60 deg. C.

She is for owners Brian and Stephen Knobel and has been designed for fishing trips of up to 35 days operating out to South Africa's 200-mile limit, also for catching swordfish and broadbill.

A Cat 3412 electronic engine of 720 hp at 1800 rpm powers the tuna boat which can carry 80 tons of fuel. She has a 50 cu. metre room equipped with two blast freezers, plus holds of 140 and 50 cu. metres. All three spaces have insulation of 300 mm thick to cope with low-temperature freezing when operating towards the equator.

Refrigeration and Freezing of Port Elizabeth has worked on the boat's freezing system which includes six 45 hp compressors. No fans are used in the freezing holds as they are lined on the deckhead and sides with Gunthella of Canada freezing plates.

This method has been adopted to ensure that tuna stored in the holds will not suffer freezer burns.

Tallie Marine extended its largest mould to produce the hull for the tuna longliner and it was modified fore and aft. Her aft section was narrowed and she can now swing a 1.8 metre propeller.

A Cat 3412 electronic main engine of 720 hp at 1800 rpm powers the tuna boat and she is designed for a speed of 10.5 to 10.6 knots.

Tallie Marine has designed the vessel and her construction drawings were prepared by Triton Naval Architects of Cape Town, which will also carry out her stability work.

Another vessel under construction by Tallie Marine is a 74 ft. purse seiner/bottom hake longliner for Port Elizabeth which will have a halfsheltered deck and four tanks. Pelagic fish catches - such as pilchard - will be stored in a water-ice mix, while hake will be iced.

Starting construction at Tallie Marine is a 22.5 x 6.5 x 3 metre fisheries research vessel for Namibia, while South Africa's squid industry has placed orders with the yard for four 18.5 metre vessels and three x 14 metres.

Another order is for a 15.5 metre crayfish boat for Namibia.

"There has been a lot of interest in fishing boats due to four-year quotas bringing stability into the industry, " says Anton Tallie.

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