Grand plans: Boat operators upgfade onboard comforts to stay competitive

摘要

The future of a successful large-boat U.S. fishing industry just might lie in two boats currently under construction.The 191-foot freezer longliner Blue North is being built at Dakota Creek Industries in Anacortes,Wash., for Seattle's Blue North Inc. The other is across the country in Panama City, Fla., where the Eastern Shipbuilding Group is building the 194-foot freezer trawler Araho for the O'Hara Corp. of Rockland, Maine.The boats have advanced hull designs and the newest in freezing technology, fishing gear and wheelhouse electronics. Both have also been designed with a focus on crew comfort.