There’s no stopping the team over at Sachal Shipyard. The West Coast firm led by MD Nic Stevens has scooped another major accolade, this time for their latest tuna pole vessel.
The 14,5m Tightline was recently officially crowned the Baird Maritime Best Fishing and Aquaculture Vessel 2025.
Tightline is a bespoke powerhouse vessel designed to punch well above its weight. Built to tackle SA’s demanding offshore waters, it manages to squeeze full live-bait capability and six insulated fish tanks into a compact, cost-efficient platform.
“What made this project special was the opportunity to experiment with new ideas and engineer fresh concepts,” Stevens told Baird Maritime. He said the Sachal team had been operating at full capacity as they aim for ever broader horizons; designs for 30-to-40-metre FRP vessels are in the works amid growing interest from international clients.
Expected stricter commercial fishing regulations could have implications for vessel design and manufacture, Stevens said: “For us, that is an exciting challenge, as it allows us to bring bold ideas into practice and see them come to life in working vessels. We expect to see significantly more advanced technology in every aspect of commercial fishing, from fishing systems and catch handling to energy management and navigation,” he told Baird Maritime.
“Without embracing these advances, vessels will struggle to keep up with market and regulatory demands. Efficiency, smart integration of systems, and better data will be key differentiators.”