It has been quite a while since a new boat has been registered with Great Yarmouth’s YH prefix – up until very recently.

Alicat Workboats of Great Yarmouth have just launched an under ten metre boat commissioned by skipper Johnny Nudds, who fishes from Wells next the Sea, Norfolk.

Named after his son, the new vessel is the Charlie John, registered YH776.

The number was particularly chosen as the 776 is indicative of his son’s date of birth – 7th of July 2006.

Powered by an Iveco 67 NEF N67 engine, Charlie John will be used for crab, lobster, and whelk fishing, and is a replacement for a previous vessel Pathfinder (LN467) which is now in Ireland.

Charlie John began with a Cygnus Cyclone hull that already had a wheelhouse, engine bed, stern tube and decks. Alicat needed to alter the engine mountings to fit this particular Iveco. From that point on, Alicat did all the boatbuilding and fitting out work. Most of the work was overseen by Paul Allerton as a subcontractor to Alicat.

The gearbox is a Twin Disc MG 5075A provided by Maritime and Industrial Transmissions.

Navigational and fish finding instruments in the wheelhouse include:

  • Furuno GP 3500 colour chart plotter;
  • Furuno FCV 587 echo sounder;
  • Furuno 1835 colour radar;
  • Furuno Sc 30 satellite compass;
  • Simrad AP 28 autopilot;
  • Icom IC M423 VHF.

SATISFACTION

Mr Nudds and his father, who was on the boat, expressed their satisfaction at the quality of the stainless steel fabrication, regarding the hauling and sorting equipment.

Johnny also has another boat Novantae SH 270 skippered by Kenny Pitchers at Wells, which is currently whelking, and alternates between whelks, scallops and trawling as the seasons progress.

All the shellfish is landed at Wells, and Johnny told Fishing News that it would not be breaking any confidences to say that the crabs go to David Bywater of Bywater Shellfish and lobsters to the Sole Trader company in Billingsgate.

The boat left Great Yarmouth in a strongish wind and a considerable swell and both the skipper and Alicat engineers were very pleased with its performance.

Alicat Workboats have made their name in building wind farm catamarans, but the company’s Richard Allerton stressed that they wish to keep their ongoing relationship with the local fishermen.

Johnny Nudds has been dealing with them over a period of time, with several previous vessels.

Incidentally, Paul Allerton was officially retiring after travelling on the boat to Wells with the skipper and John Nudds senior, and Richard Allerton, the service and repair supervisor for Alicat.

Article – Fishing News

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