NEWS:East Coast Scalloper from Gulf Coast Yard

January 7 is a special day on the calendar of Bass Harbor Maine fisherman Brett Mitchell. That is the day that he rode his new raised-foc'sle scalloper, the Bella Rose, out of the Rodriguez Shipyard at Coden, Ala., for sea trials. At 72 x 24 ft. with a 12-ft. molded depth, this is a big boat. Rigged to tow a pair of eleven-ft. dredges, the twin-boom boat has a 2,500 cu. ft. insulated fish hold.

Each boom is equipped with an H12 Pullmaster winch while the boat is equipped with an additional H25 Pullmaster winch. Power for the hydraulics to drive the winches is provided by a 250 hp Cummins C-series engine. Electrical needs of the new vessel are met by a pair of Cummins powered Onan model 35MC6BA 35 kW generator sets.

Main propulsion and towing power is delivered by a single six-cylinder 530-hp @ 1,800 rpm Cummins KTA19M3 engine with a Twin Disc MG516 gear. The 6:1 reduction turns a 4.5-in. stainless steel shaft and a 64-in. propeller in a Rice nozzle. The vessel has an 11,000 gallon fuel capacity and carries 3,000 gallons of potable water.