111
June 9, 2000

Thailand’s Mahachai Dockyard: Building the Fleet

While the tradition of wooden boat building continues strong in Thailand, the trend to steel boats for the distant water fleet has created a booming industry for the yards with the capabilities. One of the leaders among this emerging group is the Mahachai Dockyard on the Gulf of Thailand at Samutsakorn. In late May the firm’s 100x140-metre waterfront yard was crowded with 16 boats under construction from 20 to 38 metres.

All of these newly constructed boats were Cummins-powered. Single six-cylinder KTA19 500 HP engines were being installed in two 20x5.5x3.2-metre trawlers. The same power plants were going into five 23x6x3.3-metre trawlers. Another six 33x7x4-metre boats were under construction. Of these, three were being powered with KTA19s while the other three were having the bigger 12-cylinder KTA38 M0s with 800 HP ratings installed. A pair of 38x8x5-metre freezer trawlers with 200 Kw generator sets were being built with the 1000 HP Cummins KTA38 M1 engines.

Mahachai Dockyard Director Sakchai Rujiprapa was building for his own company, a 38-metre trawler that his design team had adapted from a Norwegian style shelter deck longliner. The wheelhouse and stern had been modified to accommodate the trawl gear but the distinctive bulbous bow had been retained for improved fuel efficiency and superior sea keeping.

The yard has recently delivered a trawler with the M3 version of the popular KTA19 engine generating 600 HP. (See attached photo)

For more information contact:

Sakchai Rujiprapa
Director, Mahachai Dockyard Co., Ltd.
200 Tawai Road, Tachalom District, Sumutsakorn, Thailand
Phone: 66 (034) 425-359 or 425-215 Fax: 66 (034) 425-353

or:

Sathit Suwanprasert
Senior Engineer (marketing), Diethelm & Co., Ltd.

575-551
550-526, 525-501, 500-476, 475-451, 450-426, 425-401, 400-376
375-351, 350-326, 325-301, 300-276, 275-251, 250-226, 225-201
200-176, 175-151, 150-126, 125-101, 100-76, 75-51, 50-26, 25-0