Customer Bay Welding has finished a new custom 44 x 14 gill-netter, the Highlander, a Cook Inlet Stern Picker/Longliner combo vessel that was designed for high speed and comfort while fishing. And thanks to twin Volvo Penta D11 625 hp engines from Pacific Power Group’s Marine team and dealer In-Demand Marine, the Highlander is a unique, powerful, and fuel-efficient project made possible.
About the Project
The primary goal of the project was to design and build a boat for owner Ken that could get to the fishing grounds at 25 – 30 mph and get back to port with 5,000 – 10,000 pounds of fish on board at 20 – 25 mph. The overall comfort of the crew and practical usability of the boat were high priorities as well. What resulted is a one-of-a-kind fishing boat that is fast, extremely maneuverable, and well-appointed with technology and comforts.
Power System Details
At the heart of the speed and weight-carrying capability of the boat are the twin Volvo Penta D11 625 hp engines, coupled to the Hi500 water jets from Hill Innovations. Features of the Volvo Penta D11 inboard engines include:
- Compact design
- Powerful torque at low RPM
- Excellent drivability and stronger acceleration
- Effective turbo and air filter reduce noise levels significantly
Environmental and Economic Impact
The Highlander’s D11 diesel engines are EPA Tier 3 rated, which give the fishing vessel environmentally-friendly performance.
The fuel economy, when full of fuel and water, averaged .72 nautical miles per gallon from 14 to 32 mph, showing a great efficiency range across a wide speed selection.
About t
he Boat
The boat hull, structural calculations, and stability engineering were performed by Coastwise Corporation in Anchorage, Alaska. The cabin design, systems layout, and detail design were completed in-house by Bay Welding. The hull concept design was a spin-off of Bay Welding’s successful high speed 42 x 14 hull that was also designed by Coastwise and Bay Weld, which was built a few years ago for the Alaska State Troopers.
Specs
Overall
- Length: 44’ hull / 47’ overall
- Width: 14’ at gunnel
- Deadrise at transom: 13 degrees
- Draft: 20”
- Fuel capacity: 800 gallons in 4 tanks
- Fresh water capacity: 150 gallons
- Fish hold capacity: 400 cubic feet
- Weight with full fuel and water: 43,700#
- Main engines (2) Volvo D11 625 hp at 2400 rpm
- Marine transmissions (2) ZF325 with 1.72:1 ratio, live PTO, and electric shift and troll valve
Control and steering
- Control Systems: Volvo Penta Electronic Vessel Control system – 3 stations
- Water Jets: (2) Hill Innovations Hi500 jet – 20” diameter impeller. Aluminum fabricated jet housing
- Jet controls/steering: Electric over hydraulic solenoid bucket control valves with joystick toggle control / Sea Star hydraulic steering system with Power assist
- Generator: Northern Lights 6Kw
- RSW: PacWest 7.5 Ton hydraulic system
- RSW control system: Remotely controlled all electric zone controls. Control board mounted inside cabin for full RSW plumbing function control without going below deck
- Bow Thruster: Side Power 10” electric thruster with joystick control
- Video: Engine room camera / Deck Go Pro camera linked to Furuno NavNet display
Speeds
- Max speed with holds empty: 37.8 mph (41,250# as tested)
- Cruise speed with holds empty: 28.3 mph at 2000 rpm
- Max speed with 4,000# weight in holds: 35.5 mph (45,250# as tested)
- Cruise speed with 4,000# weight in holds: 25.8 mph at 2000 rpm
- Max speed with 8,000# weight in holds: 32.5 mph (49,250# as tested)
- Cruise speed with 8,000# weight in holds: 22.7 mph at 2000 rpm
- Max speed with 12,000# weight in holds: 28.1 mph (53,250# as tested)
- Cruise speed with 12,000# weight in holds: 20 mph at 2000 rpm
- Max speed with 16,600# weight in holds: 25.1 mph (57,850# as tested)
- Cruise speed with 16,000# weight in holds: 16.5 mph at 2000 rpm
Even though there can be only one Highlander, Pacific Power Group can design a custom Volvo Penta power system for your boat. Contact us for more information or to get started.
About our Volvo Penta engines:
Volvo Penta engines and generators have been trusted for more than 100 years to provide quality and environmentally friendly propulsion for marine vessels. Volvo Penta’s diesel engines are trusted in commercial and leisure applications alike for their excellent power-to-weight ratio, low fuel consumption and legendary reliability. Volvo Penta marine engines are designed to keep running with maximum uptime, the highest levels of safety and minimal environmental footprint.
More about PPG’s Volvo Penta series