The Stormryder is our fishing vessel, and we've been working from her for the past three years. We love this boat — it's versatile, reliable, and well-suited for everything from hook-and-line fishing to prawning.
Vessel Specs:
- Length Overall (LOA): 50'
- Beam (Width): 18' 6"
- Draft (Depth): 7'
Fishing Capabilities
The Stormryder is equipped to handle both fresh and frozen fisheries.
For shorter trips — like most hook-and-line fisheries — we keep our catch fresh in the fish hold, packed in ice. These trips are usually less than a week long.
For longer trips, like prawn and tuna fishing, we use our onboard freezer system. This system can hold temperatures between -45°C and -50°C. It's what's called a plate freezer system — aluminum plates come into direct contact with the catch, freezing it as quickly as possible to lock in quality. This process is known as Frozen At Sea (FAS).
How Our Freezer Works
The freezer system runs off its own dedicated diesel engine, separate from the main engine that powers the boat. This auxiliary engine drives the freezer compressor directly, making the system completely independent.
Both the main engine and the freezer engine can charge the vessel’s batteries and electrical systems. This setup means that when we're anchored overnight while prawning, or drifting at sea while tuna fishing, we have full use of our electrical systems without needing to run the larger main engine.
This saves fuel, reduces emissions, and limits wear and tear on the main engine — a big advantage when operating at sea for extended periods.
