Sea trials of the vessel took place near Gogland Island in the Gulf of Finland. The trial crew checked proper operation of the main propulsion, performed speed and maneuverability tests, and measured vibration. The experts tested the navigation system, radio communication systems,fish finding equipment, as well as the fuel, oil, and general vessel systems. Initial phase of the builder's trials demonstrated that the key features of this state-of-the-art vessel meet the contractual requirements. The tests were carried out with the involvement of RFC staff.
The second vessel in the series called Mekhanik Maslak commenced its fishing operations in May this year. Before this, the trawler had undergone fishing trials in the vicinity of the Kuril Islands.
RFC's Vladimir Limanov (built at the Turkish Tersan shipyard) and Kapitan Vdovichenko super trawlers currently operating in the Far Eastern fishery basin ranked among the top three in the pollock catch ranking from January 1 to April 9, 2023.
Building of the fourth super trawler in the series called Kapitan Martynov launched on September 24, 2021, is ongoing at the Admiralty Shipyards. Hull of the fifth Kapitan Yunak super trawler is being built and equipment is being installed on the sixth Mekhanik Shcherbakov super trawler at the southern and northern slipways of the shipyards. Both trawlers were laid down in 2021. In total, the project provides for the Admiralty Shipyards to build 10 similar supertrawlers for RFC.
The super trawlers being built for RFC are the most sizable and technologically sophisticated Russian fishing vessels. Each new vessed is designed to annually haul in 60 thousand tons of fish–a figure that surpasses the output of the current main vessels in the Russian Far East fishing fleet by 2.5 fold.
The new fleet stands out for its significantly enhanced production capabilities, utmost safety, superior eco-friendliness, and improved work and leisure conditions for their crew. The vessels are fitted with state-of-the-art facilities capable of comprehensive waste-free processing of the entire catch into high value-added products.
