In another milestone highlighting South Africa’s commercial boatbuilding capability, Vredenburg-based Sachal Shipyard has completed and handed over the MFV Creativity, a fully custom 27-metre GRP composite purse seiner built for West Coast pelagic fishing operations.
Constructed under the registered 24-metre category, the vessel was designed and engineered entirely in-house to meet specific operational metrics. The Creativity carries a 320-tonne payload while maintaining speeds in excess of 10 knots fully loaded (and over 12 knots free-running). Featuring a shallow draught that minimizes trim changes between loaded and unloaded states, the vessel can access draft-restricted offloading sites without sacrificing stability during large net-handling operations.
Technically, the vessel integrates an advanced propulsion package, driven by a Baudouin main engine and a 2-metre diameter propeller, alongside a 350 kW Hydraulic Power Unit (HPU) for full system redundancy. Her deck machinery includes a Petec four-drum purse winch, bow and stern thrusters, and a 350 kW Everflo Refrigerated Sea Water (RSW) plant. The RSW system allows rapid, simultaneous, or individual cooling across all six holds, ensuring high-quality sardine catches destined for human consumption.
Accommodating a crew of 14 in insulated, air-conditioned quarters, Creativity also features top-tier fish-finding sonar and navigational electronics.
Commencing construction in March 2025 and launched in February 2026, the successful completion of the MFV Creativity underscores the strength of South Africa’s local marine manufacturing sector in delivering complex, high-specification commercial workboats tailored to demanding operational environments.
For readers interested in seeing the vessel in action, Sachal Shipyard released a tour of her sea trials and deck arrangement in the video 27m Custom Purse Seiner Sea Trials, Interior & Deck Tour | Sachal Shipyard. This clip offers a quick look at the vessel’s hull performance, interior finishes, and integrated marine systems.