Chartwell targets small fishing market with new "Catchwell" catamaran design
13 December 2018
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New Catchwell catamaran, with design input from Diverse Marine, brings technology and lessons learnt from large vessel operation to private and small-scale commercial fishing
Chartwell Marine, a pioneer in next generation vessel design, has announced the launch of the Catchwell, a brand-new vessel design for the small-scale private and commercial fishing sector. The catamaran design responds to extensive feedback from fishermen, alongside operational lessons learnt from advanced maritime industries, such as offshore wind.
The Catchwell, available in 10 metre and 12 metre models, is optimised for carrying high loads, with a semi-modular catamaran hull form that can be adapted to the needs of the fisherman or operator. The first vessel is currently in build on the Isle of Wight by experienced vessel construction, refit, repair & maintenance specialist, Diverse Marine, who have provided extensive input during the design process.
As many of the existing vessels at the smaller end of the market start to reach the end of their lifetime – and as opportunities emerge for small-scale fishing in Europe and further afield – demand for new, more capable fishing boats is growing. Vessel owners who invested in catamarans 10 to 15 years ago and are now looking to replace their boats, alongside new entrants to the market, now have an opportunity to take advantage of a new generation of vessels with significantly enhanced performance and efficiency.
In particular, many existing small catamaran designs are not well optimised for high volumes of cargo. With limited reserve buoyancy, a large catch may cause ‘wet deck slamming’ – the results of which are an uncomfortable ride in rough waters, potential damage to the structural integrity of the vessel, and also more fuel burnt during operation.
The new Catchwell design benefits from significant research and development carried out in the development of state-of-the-art crew transfer and support vessels for the offshore wind energy sector. The vessel has been designed with a higher freeboard, meaning that the wet deck between the twin hulls of the catamaran doesn’t come into contact with the water, even under heavy loading. This avoids aggressive vertical accelerations, leading to a smoother, safer and more fuel-efficient ride.
Alongside this new hull form, the Catchwell brings in a number of tried and tested innovations from larger catamarans that enhance the long-term reliability of the vessel, faced with long operational hours in rough waters. These include commonality of components across the vessel, which makes conducting repairs on board as simple as possible and reduces time spent out of action.
Andy Page, Managing Director, Chartwell Marine said, “In light of market conditions over the past few years, the design of smaller fishing vessels hasn’t really moved on, leaving private and commercial operators with a shortage of high-quality options.”
“Now, with prospects looking a little better – and simultaneously many older vessels going out of service – we have an opportunity to address this by taking lessons learnt from other sectors and applying them in the development of a new breed of modern, safe and efficient workboats.”
Ben Colman, Director, Diverse Marine, added “Having worked extensively with fishing vessel operators – and taken years of feedback into the development process with Chartwell – we are confident that the Catchwell is the small fishing boat that the market is looking for. With the first vessel in build, we’re applying the same rigour and principles that go into the construction of larger catamarans, to ensure that quality of design is matched by quality of build.”
To read more and view the Catchwell specification sheet, please click HERE
Cowes, UK (27-02-25) Since launching its Finance & Lease Programme in November 2023, Diverse Marine has successfully delivered two crew transfer vessels (CTVs), with three more currently in build for delivery this year and two further shortly thereafter of the first batch.The programme continues to operate as a rolling initiative, providing new-build CTVs based on customer demand. The first vessel completed under the programme was NR Alpha, which was unveiled at Seawork last year. This Storm Class CTV has set new benchmarks for fuel efficiency and performance, leading NR Marine Services to order a third vessel—NR Rival, the first of the new Typhoon Class CTVs. NR Rival was delivered in January 2025. TheTyphoon Class features a hull form designed for exceptional head-sea performance and tower access while maintaining high buoyancy reserves for superior seakeeping in following and stern-quarter seas. It also comes with Zero Emissions (Power Management) class notation, recognising its efficiency in reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Stock Build 3, a first Brevity Class CTV is undergoing sea trials with the vessel available for quick delivery following rebrand to suit a prospective clients requirements. Stock Build 4, to be named NR Rebellion, a second Typhoon Class CTV, is now in its final build phase, with the wheelhouse and saloon fitted earlier this month. Again ordered by NR Marine Services, she is scheduled for launch and sea trials in March. Owen Nutt, Director at NR Marine Services, commented: “Receiving three world-class CTVs in the last 10 months has been transformative for our business. Each vessel has outperformed expectations in speed and efficiency, delivering significant fuel cost savings for our clients.This success has given us the confidence to order another Typhoon Class CTV and another Storm Class CTV through Diverse Marine’s Finance & Lease Programme, and we look forward to putting them to work soon.” Meanwhile, Stock Build 5, to be named NR Hunter, a third Storm Class CTV, is currently under construction at Diverse Marine’s facility in Cowes and will be launched at Seawork in June. Stock Build 6, an Ambitious Class CTV is also currently under construction and will be delivered to OEG, whilst Stock Build 7, a further Brevity Class CTV, will follow in Q3/Q4 of this year. Ben Colman, Director at Diverse Marine, added: “The success of our Finance & Lease Programme is proving that high-quality, next-generation CTVs can be more accessible and affordable for operators. By reducing the financial barriers to vessel ownership, we’re enabling companies to upgrade their fleets with more efficient and capable vessels. With four more vessels in build and strong interest in future slots, we look forward to continuing to support the offshore wind industry with innovative financing and cutting-edge designs.” For more information on the Diverse Marine Finance & Lease Programme, including availability and build slots, please contact Ben Colman or Peter Curtis on 01983 300656.
Seawork, Southampton, UK (12-06-24) Diverse Marine is proud to announce that it has been selected by VARD GROUP AS to construct a Chartwell Daugher Craft to be installed on a VARD 4 19 CSOV under construction for PURUS Wind. The 12m catamaran daughter craft,designed by Chartwell Marine in Southampton features a twin IMOTier-3Volvo Penta IPS propulsion system to reduce emissions and provide good performance when deployed from the CSOV. Ben Colman, Director of Diverse Marine:“I am very proud of this contract award, something different for our small boats team off the back of small military craft, amphibious CTV, survey vessels and a fast passenger vessel. If there is sufficient demand for daughter craft of this type then we may consider a stock build programme similar to the CTV’s to have craft available without the burden of construction finance and stage payments.”
Diverse Marine and NR Marine Services and proud to announce the launch of the second of class Storm Class CTV, NR ALPHA that is now proudly being displayed at Seawork 2024 in the Port of Southampton on berth VB21. NR ALPHA is a sister to NR PREDATOR delivered in March this year. NR PREDATOR has performed very well on her first contract with higher performance levels and substantially lower fuel burn and emission levels than other similar vessels on the same project. The Storm Class measures 27.6m LOA by 10m BOA and is fitted with a quad IMO Tier-3 Volvo Penta IPS propulsion system. Its unique hull form features a very fine entry with higher buoyancy reserves above the main chines and resistance reducingsolutions integrated into the underbody. A resilient superstructure ensures very low noise and vibration levels in the passenger saloon with the first recording sub 55dBA at full power. NR ALPHA is the first vessel from the Diverse Marine Finance and Lease Programme announced late last year and the first of three vessels being delivered to the scheme this year. The programme allows Diverse Marine to build offshore wind crew transfer vessels to stock for onward lease or sale. The scheme removes the requirement for clients to source construction finance and Diverse Marine can offer the vessels on lease/hire purchase with 0% deposit, a fully funded solution with payments monthly in arrears. Ben Colman, Director of Diverse Marine:“We are delighted to announce the build of NR ALPHA for NR Marine Services.Theperformance of NR PREDATOR has exceeded everybody’s expectations with exceptionally good performance, fuel efficiency and reliability, a testament to the high quality produced by our team at Cowes”. Owen Nutt, Director of NR Marine Services: “The addition of NR ALPHA to our fleet so soon after NR PREDATOR is testament to the growth and forward plans set out by our business to add high quality, high performance and efficient vessels to our fleet. Diverse Marine’s Storm Class is the result of the KPI’s we provided to Walker Marine Design and the ship yard. With NR PREDATOR all of these KPI’s were met with the vessel proving to be faster and more efficient that predicted. We are very pleased and excited that we can add NR ALPHA to the fleet and provide our clients with class leading vessels that can save £100,000’s of fuel cost annually without any compromise”.
For all enquiries please call Diverse Marine on 01983 300656
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