57 December 23, 1998

Compact Cummins N14 for Bay of Fundy Trawler

Over the years that they have fished out of Saulnierville, Nova Scotia, Daniel LeBlanc and his dad have built a total of 15 new boats. In the process they have learned what makes a boat catch fish and turn a profit. Daniel's latest boat, the "Venture 2000", is a 62X20 foot fibreglass trawler from A.F.Theriault & Sons of Meteghan River, Nova Scotia. The new boat is powered by a 14-litre six-cylinder Cummins N14 generating 480 HP at 1800 RPM. Daniel reports that there were some skeptical comments from fellow fishermen when they saw the compact engine lowered into the engine room. Contrasted with the 800 HP engine that Daniel had in an earlier 65-foot boat, this seemed like little enough power.

Six weeks of fishing and as many successful trips have turned doubt to admiration around the Bay of Fundy where 28-foot tides and heavy mud bottom add special challenges for draggers. "If you tow with the tide you'll be doing four knots at an idle and your gear will fill with rocks and mud and tear up," explains Daniel, "So we have to tow against it to control our speed. Some of the bigger boats are towing larger nets but they are burning 18 to 20 gallons an hour with their auxiliaries and main engines. With my new boat, I have a Cummins 6CT auxiliary for the hydraulics the N14 main engine. Together, they burn only 10.5 gallons per hour."

Daniel figures that he is gaining at least 15 percent more power with a kort nozzle enclosing a 62X44-inch propeller turned through a ZF BW191 gear with a 5.5:1 ratio. He fishes a slightly smaller, but more efficient net that is equivalent to a 280 Star Balloon trawl with a foot rope stretching about 116 feet. His Pullmaster trawl winches can be operated from the wheelhouse and hold 400 fathoms of 5/8 steel core wire. The C-series Cummins auxiliary provides hydraulic power and has an back-up 115-volt alternator with the primary electrical power supplied by a 145-volt Davidson alternator on the main engine.

The "Venture 2000" reflects both in name and performance, the recognition by many fishermen, such as Daniel LeBalnc, that survival in the coming millennium will require an entrepreneurial spirit that considers cost as a factor of production.

For more information on the "Venture 2000" contact:

Daniel LeBlanc
Toffee Trawling Ltd.
Saulnierville, Nova Scotia
Canada
Phone: 902 769-3536 Cel. Phone: 902 769-7122 Fax: 902 769-2399

For photos of the "Venture 2000" contact:

A.F. Theriault & Son Ltd.
Metahgan River, Nova Scotia
Phone 902 645-2327 Fax: 902 645-2174

For more on the Cummins power package, contact:

Steve Allt
Cummins Eastern Can.
Dartmouth, N.S.
Phone: 902 468-7938

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