South Africa’s deep-sea commercial fleet has welcomed a powerhouse addition following the official Cape Town registration and certification of the Santa Princesa. The massive 65-metre freezer trawler represents the latest major investment in the modernisation of the domestic hake fishery.
Originally built in Norway in 1987—a nation renowned for producing exceptionally rugged, ice-class commercial hulls—the vessel has undergone extensive engineering upgrades and structural refurbishments ahead of her South African deployment.
For the marine engineering and boatbuilding community, the Santa Princesa’s technical specifications highlight a serious operational asset:
- Propulsion & Scale: Measuring 65 metres in length overall (LOA), the trawler is driven by a formidable 2,999 kW main engine, optimized for high bollard pull and long-endurance deep-sea operations.
- Deck Machinery: The vessel features an advanced, automated trawl system designed to maximize towing efficiency and safety in the demanding, heavy-swell environments off the South African coast.
- Onboard Processing Plant: Below deck, the ship functions as a floating factory. It is equipped with specialised, high-yield Baader filleting machinery capable of processing value-added hake fillets immediately at sea before transferring them to the integrated ultra-low temperature blast freezers.
- Crew Infrastructure: Certified to carry 65 personnel (including 48 factory operators), the interior layout has been substantially upgraded to enhance crew welfare, boasting modernised living quarters, mess facilities, and climate systems engineered for extended offshore cycles.
The deployment of the Santa Princesa is part of a broader wave of capital investment in fleet renewal triggered by the finalisation of long-term commercial fishing rights in 2022. Operating on behalf of right-holders Mayibuye Fishing, Ntshonalanga Fishing, and Khoi Qwa Fishing Development Company, the vessel directly replaces the older Umzabalazo.
By replacing retiring hulls with highly efficient, automated platforms like the Santa Princesa, local operators are ensuring the long-term technical competitiveness and safety compliance of South Africa’s most valuable, MSC-certified fishery.