Another first for MARCO Seattle was accomplished with the delivery of the fishing vessel Storm Petrel to owner/skipper George Fulton. She is a refrigerated seawater, trawler/combination boat, MARCO's first to be designed and engineered principally as a trawler. The new vessel has an overall length of 123 feet, beam of 31 feet, and depth of 14 feet.
Propulsion power for the Storm Petrel comes from a turbocharged and aftercooled Caterpillar D399-TA diesel with a continuous rating of 1,125 bhp at 1,225 rpm, driving a 96-inch Coolidge stainless-steel propeller through Reintjes reverse/reduction gears, providing a normal service speed of 12 knots. Auxiliary power is provided by one Caterpillar 3304N and two Cummins KT1150GC engines.
The vessel features a two-deck aluminum pilothouse above the raised deck. The bridge deck has a 360-degree field of vision, and contains an aft-facing hydraulic control console that includes trawl winch controls.
The new boat has a complete outfit of electronics and other navigational aids, including two radars, two sonars, Loran, and a variety of radio equipment (see accompanying supplier list).
Much attention was given to net- and fish-handling space and equipment aboard the vessel, combining such features as the refrigerated seawater system, an eight-well configuration with a total capacity of 8,800 cubic feet, an articulated stern ramp, and a combination of gear that includes the first pair of MARCO's new WT-303 trawl winches and a removable four-drum stern gantry.
The new hydraulic ramp arrangement, which encloses the boat's stern when not in use, was developed by Mr. Fulton. MARCO's new WT-303 winches deliver more power than previous models, providing the ability to handle the loads of midwater trawling. They feature a transmission that allows the winch to maintain constant speed and power once 30 percent of the cable is on the drum.