Boatbuilding entrepreneurs Sverrir Bergsson
and Sigurjón Ragnarsson were convinced
early on about the possibilities and overwhelming
advantages of composite materials.
Seigla, the company they founded in 1991,
fought for the vacuum infusion technique
to be recognized by the Icelandic Maritime
Administration. Seigla came into contact
with Diab already in 1997, but the company
chose to work closely with Diab after attending
a theoretical and workshop-based seminar
on vacuum infusion ten years ago.
Seigla’s first infusion project, a 15 m
commercial fishing boat in 2003, was a point
of no return. Not only did vacuum infusion
give Seigla customers stronger, lighter,
faster and more economical boats, it also led
to a cleaner and healthier workshop. Today
Seigla makes regular use of Diab materials
and expertise, and in December 2011 the
company pushed boundaries by delivering
SAGA K.
At 18 meters long and 5.7 meters wide,
SAGA K is probably the largest vacuum-infused
fishing vessel in the world. Throughout
its structure are Divinycell H60, H80 and
H100 core materials from Diab, which
were delivered in bulk and custom-cut on
site. Though Seigla was already well familiar
with Divinycell cores, the size of the boat
necessitated new and greater thicknesses of 20 – 55 mm.
Today SAGA K has its home in the cold fishing waters north of Norway, where it has easily surpassed the expectations of its owners. In addition to being lightweight and economical,
it has proven to have excellent insulating
qualities. Whereas single-skin boats
become damp or even soaking wet inside
due to condensation, SAGA K is consistently
dry throughout.
The dry conditions are more comfortable
for the crew, of course, but they also protect
the electrical instruments aboard SAGA K,
which is equipped with the latest technology.
On single-skin boats, condensation
can accumulate under the roof panel of the
wheelhouse to form huge blocks of ice in the
freezing cold. When the temperature begins
to rise, it can then rain inside the boat directly
onto the electrical equipment. Yet this
never happens aboard SAGA K.
Still another advantage SAGA K offers its
owners is the possibility of thorough cleaning.
Bearing in mind that fishing vessels
are somewhat like floating food production
companies, it is remarkable how little attention
is generally paid to their hygiene.
Seigla took great care during the design
process to ensure ease of cleaning, especially
when it came to food handling areas. By using
Divinycell core from Diab in the fish
hold, the need for stiffeners was eliminated,
resulting in a more open and more accessible
compartment. An increased number of
flat surfaces and a smaller number of corners
make the fish hold – and indeed all of SAGA
K – easier to clean and substantially more
hygienic.
Of course, a fishing vessel that is light,
comfortable and clean is not enough. It still
has to catch fish. But even here SAGA K has
exceeded its owners’ wildest expectations.
After leaving harbor for its first fishing tour
in January, SAGA K returned less than a
month later with over 200 tons of fish, suggesting
that the boat will provide a handsome
return on investment.
Meanwhile, Seigla is investing experience
from the SAGA K back into new projects.
On the drawing board is a 24 m vessel,
planned for vacuum infusion with Diab core material throughout.
www.seigla.is