The Intertidal Harvester is a burly workboat for small to medium scale aquafarms which operate in inshore waters., designed and built to meet the needs of Aquafarmers who work alone or with a small crew. Johns sister, Catherine Puckett is a Kelp and Oyster farmer on Block Island, Rhode Island. He has watched her cobble together workboats for years that do not meet her needs or safety requirements, leaving her vulnerable and relying mostly on brut strength rather then safety and efficiency. Taking her challenges and farming knowledge into account, the Intertidal Harvester was born.

The design is scalable to be able to fit the needs of different size farms and can be outfitted with different attachments to accommodate various types of gear and farming of multiple species. Its catamaran design provides a stable and safe working platform with a shallow draft. The hulls are narrow enough to allow the boat to be moved easily with relatively low horsepower for efficiency, while maintaining enough buoyancy to carry a load.  The a-frame crane on the bow allows for lifting heavy loads from the deck onto a dock or boat ramp, while the overhead beam crane built into the hard top allows for lifting out of the water onto the deck through the removable panels in the decks between the hulls. All heavy lifting is done over the centerline of the boat making it much safer than lifting over the side which could result in capsize. The hardtop provides a shaded workspace as well as a platform for a large solar array. It can be outfitted with inboard or outboard motors, which can be electric, diesel, or gas. Steering stations can be placed on both hulls or centered on the deck between the hulls. Small spuds can be added for working in shallow water. The large flat deck between the hulls provides a flexible work area that can be outfitted with sorting tables or machines. The deck is made of grates so that water drains straight through and has a row of removable panels down the centerline so that gear can be hauled out of the water and placed directly onto work tables or dumped into sorting machines. There is a small enclosed head in the bow of one hull to avoid the "over the side" or "bucket and chuck it" methods. In the bow of the other hull is an enclosed dry space for storage. The aft enclosed spaces are for systems and tankage if required. 

   The hull construction will be cold molded local cedar and possibly hemlock, or marine plywood. I would like to use biobased epoxy resin and bamboo fiberglass cloth as a barrier under the paint, but this will depend on some trials. My goal is to use as many locally sourced and sustainable materials as I can to keep the carbon footprint of the boats as small as possible. I would like to make it achievable to have a farm that is carbon neutral or even carbon negative if using electric motors and equipment. I would like to give farmers the option to order a boat in various states of completion to allow farmers that are on a budget to do their own work if they are able. This could mean selling detailed plans, bare hulls, hull and deck kits, completed but unpainted boats, or turnkey ready to farm boats delivered to your local harbour. My main goal is to provide a vessel for aquafarmers that is safe, reliable, efficient in its use of fuel, and efficient in terms of work.  

Prototype and pictures coming soon. For more information please submit any questions or inquirys in the provided form.

Thank you!

John Puckett