Vestdavit has won a contract with sustainable seafood specialist Sanford, in New Zealand, to replace the boat launch-and-recovery systems it supplied 30 years ago on three deep-sea trawlers and one freezer trawler with its latest versatile marine davits. Each of the vessels will be supplied with a new PLi-2000 davit to support operations off the coast of New Zealand.

Sales and Business Development Director Bjørnar Dahle explains how the deal marks a two-fold success for Vestdavit: “When these vessels were built in Norway between 1989 and 1992, they were each fitted with Vestdavit PL davits. These boat-handling systems have not only stood the test of time but have measured up to the challenges of operating in some of the world’s most unforgiving waters. This is testament to the longevity and quality of our products – characteristics that convinced Sanford to choose us as supplier of their latest marine davits.”

The oldest of the four vessels, San Granit, is a 67-metre freezer trawler, while San Waitaki, San Enterprise and San Discovery are stern-type deep-sea trawlers measure 64 metres in length. Waitaki and Enterprise were both built in 1990, with Discovery following in 1992. All four trawlers began operations in the North Sea and now sail under the New Zealand flag.

Specially designed for vessels in the fishing and ferry sectors, the Vestdavit PLi-2000 is a hydraulically operated single-point A-frame davit with a safe working load of up to 2,000 kilograms, allowing it to handle man-overboard boats both safely and efficiently. Its robust design is based on previous models that have proved their worth through decades of service in the harshest of marine conditions.

The agreement with Sanford is one of several recent successes for Vestdavit in New Zealand and comes as the company announces an additional contract with the country’s navy. Dahle cites the input of Vestdavit’s representative agency Antelope Engineering as being crucial to these deals: “As an expert in marine engineering for the Australasian market, Antelope has been an exceptionally helpful partner in our dealings with Sanford and the New Zealand Navy, putting its local knowledge and connections to good use. We greatly appreciate its ongoing contribution and support.”