RAPID ENGINE REPOWERS HELPING FISHING VESSELS RETURN TO SEA FASTER

Rapid engine repowers helping fishing vessels return to sea faster.  Finning expands stock of Cat® marine engines to repower fishing vessels.

Finning UK & Ireland is expanding its stockholding of Cat® marine engines to support rapid repowers for fishing vessels that experience major engine failure, helping owners return vessels to service as quickly as possible.

By keeping Caterpillar C32 and C18 marine engines available at short notice, Finning is enabling fishing vessels to replace failed or end-of-life engines in a few weeks rather than waiting many months for factory lead times.

This comes in response to growing pressure to maximise uptime as many owners chose to extend existing vessel ownership in the face of challenging industry headwinds.

Unplanned engine failure can leave vessels laid up for extended periods, directly affecting earning capacity. This is particularly critical in a sector where UK fishing vessels landed more than £1.1 billion worth of seafood in 2024, making every lost fishing day commercially significant.

The Caterpillar C18 and C32 engines are widely used across the UK fishing fleet. The C18 is an 18-litre inline six-cylinder engine with outputs between 454-600 bhp, while the C32 is a 32-litre V12 engine delivering outputs between 660-1,000 bhp in unrestricted continuous duty ratings demanded by commercial fishing vessels.

Together, they cover the majority of propulsion requirements for UK fishing vessels, allowing like-for-like replacements without extensive redesign work.

Finning has been working through established shipyards to deliver rapid repowers, supplying the engine and technical support while installation is carried out on site. The approach has been used extensively at Macduff Shipyards who have seen a high demand in the last 12 months.

“Fishing operators simply can’t afford to have vessels tied up for months when an engine fails,” said Gordon Dalrymple, Marine Sales Manager at Finning UK & Ireland. “By holding stock of Caterpillar C18 and C32 engines, we can remove a lot of uncertainty at what can be a challenging time for an owner.”

Over the past year, multiple fishing vessels have been repowered through Macduff Shipyards using this approach, before undergoing sea trials and returning to service. The work has included both like-for-like replacements and swaps from other engine manufacturers.

John Watt, Director at Macduff Shipyards, said:

“We’re seeing increasing demand for rebuilds and repowers as owners look to extend the working life of their vessels. Having engines available at short notice makes a significant difference. It allows projects to move quickly and helps minimise downtime for customers, which is critical in the fishing sector.”

Older fishing vessels often face additional challenges when repowering, including space constraints and emissions requirements. In many cases, like-for-like engine replacements remain the most practical solution, avoiding wider changes to shaft lines, gearboxes and onboard systems.

Finning will be exhibiting at Scottish Skipper Expo 2026, which returns to P&J Live in Aberdeen on Thursday 7 and Friday 8 May. Held every two years, the event brings together vessel owners, skippers and suppliers from across the fishing sector. Finning will be exhibiting on stand E1, where the team will be available to discuss repowers, engine support and wider marine power solutions.

Image: Finning UK & Ireland, Cat C32 repower stock engine being prepared in the workshop.