Katrin Jóhanna is fishing more profitable

Fully controllable Twister trawl doors help us catch more fish while using less fuel. Simply because the trawl now almost always stays in the right position, says Árni Dalsgaard, captain of the pelagic vessel Katrin Jóhanna.

Árni Dalsgaard first went to sea on a November day in 1986, the day after he turned 16. Aside from a brief period on land, he has been a fisherman his entire adult life. He has been the captain of the pelagic vessel Katrin Jóhanna since she set out on her very first fishing voyage, on the 27th of December 2018.

As captain of Katrin Jóhanna, Árni Dalsgaard has used Twister trawl doors from day one. He has followed the development from the beginning to the fully controllable doors that are used today.

“The development has been incredible towards the new, fully controllable doors that we received on board in January this year. I can control them from the bridge, they adjust themselves and keep their position,” says Árni Dalsgaard.

A success

In mackerel fishing, just below the surface, the Twister doors maintain a set depth of 15 meters, even when it’s necessary to turn sharply to catch the school of mackerel. Previously, one door could come out of the water while the other went deep, causing the trawl to bunch up.

“This often meant spending a lot of time and effort to get the trawl set correctly in the water, which of course affected the fishing,” explains Árni Dalsgaard.

In herring and blue whiting fishing, it is often necessary to get the trawl a bit higher in the water to catch the fish schools. Here too, the fully controllable doors make a significant difference.

“Now I just adjust the new height on the doors, and the trawl quickly follows. I often wonder if the old trawler captains would have understood this. I sit on the bridge at the computer and simply scroll with the mouse to move the doors – and the trawl – up or down. But it works,” says Árni Dalsgaard.

According to the experienced captain, the fully controllable Twister doors also perform well when the vessel is fishing in waters with a strong current.

“In such waters with strong currents, there can be a difference of about 100 meters in height between the trawl doors. Then the trawl stands incorrectly in the water, almost lying on its side, which of course reduces fishing performance. But the fully controllable Twisters maintain the same height, even in a strong current,” says Árni Dalsgaard.

Additionally, it is significantly easier to maintain the correct square on the trawl with fully controllable Twister.

“Overall, our experience on board has been very good. The fully controllable Twister doors are performing excellently in the water. They steer and adjust themselves and they stay where we have set them on the computer,” says Árni Dalsgaard.

The captain is very satisfied with the trawl doors and their steering systems. He is confident in using them, and he knows for sure that it is quick and easy to fix faults should anything arise.

“Of course, if there is a mechanical failure, then we must head in with the vessel to get it fixed. Otherwise, most can be serviced from shore while we are fishing. And if we have any doubts, we get guidance from shore immediately,” says Árni Dalsgaard.

It pays off

In fishing, there are many factors that can influence the outcome. Therefore, Árni Dalsgaard is also cautious about putting precise numbers on the impact of the fully controllable Twisters on the operations aboard Katrin Jóhanna.

“No, you won’t make me say how much more we are catching. But with the newest Twister trawl doors, the trawl is almost always in the right position in the water. And when it is, it catches better than a trawl that isn’t positioned correctly. This allows us to catch the same amount of fish while towing for a shorter period of time, which results in better quality, leading to higher prices,” argues Árni Dalsgaard.

Fuel consumption aboard Katrin Jóhanna has significantly decreased since the company took over the vessel in December 2018.

“Consumption has gone from 14.8 tons per day down to 10.8 tons per day. Many factors contribute to this reduction, such as improvements in trawls and other lighter, more efficient equipment. But I am convinced that we save a lot of fuel with the lightweight, fully controllable Twisters that keep the trawl in the right position in the water,” says Árni Dalsgaard.

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