"Bandaging and healing" large-capacity fishing boats, the "fishing rod" of the people, is a lucrative profession in Nghe An.

The large-capacity fishing boat repair business in Phu Nghia Commune, Quynh Luu District, Nghe An Province is currently overwhelmed with work. The reason is that this year many large boats have returned to operation after being docked. In order to operate, fishing boats must be repaired and refurbished to ensure safety.

At this time, boat repair facilities in Phu Nghia commune, Quynh Luu district, Nghe An are bustling with the sounds of saws, chisels, and machinery.

Skilled workers are also racing against time to repair large ships in time to set sail.

Previously, many large-capacity ships had to "stay ashore" for long periods of time due to difficult fishing grounds.

Long periods of being on shore also cause the boats to deteriorate. This year, the fishing grounds are favorable, seafood prices have increased, and consumption is stable, so the boat owners have decided to repair and refurbish them to go out to sea. Therefore, the boat repair industry is once again overwhelmed with work.

In addition, each large-capacity fishing vessel has a periodic "inspection" cycle to ensure safety.

"After a long period of operation, every ship must be inspected and repaired to ensure safety for the next voyage. On each long voyage, the safety of the ship is always the most important concern of the crew," said Nguyen Van Hai, a crew member with many years of experience at sea.

Since the Lunar New Year, the demand for ship repairs has increased. At Mr. Nguyen Van Hung's facility in Phu Nghia commune, there are always large ships waiting to be "hospitalized for treatment". Currently, Mr. Hung's facility has 15 highly skilled workers.

Nghề — Many large-capacity fishing boats are waiting to be repaired at a facility in Phu Nghia Commune, Quynh Luu District, Nghe An. At this time, the demand for repairing and refurbishing fishing boats is increasing. Photo: NT

Each repair facility is a chain of skilled carpenters, mechanics, painters... Depending on the level of damage, the ship is assessed and then a repair plan is developed. All workers work at full capacity so that the ships can return to sea in time.

Workers carefully check every part of the fishing boat, ensuring that every position is safe before the trip. In Phu Nghia commune, Quynh Luu district, Nghe An, there are always the most skilled workers who can "diagnose" any boat. Photo: NT

With large fishing boats, the entire hull weighs hundreds of tons, so workers must prop the hull firmly to ensure safety during repairs.

Each person had a job, from dismantling the engine to checking the hull and cleaning the hold. Everyone was busy and focused on their work.

Mr. Thach Xuan Truong has been in the boat painting business for more than 10 years. To repaint a wooden boat usually goes through many stages.

First they had to clean the hull, then treat the exposed planks to make them watertight, then repaint. Each boat was given a coat of anti-fouling paint and then painted.

On average, each wooden fishing boat is refurbished once a year when operating at sea. For boats that are severely damaged, carpenters will be assigned to repair and replace the damaged wooden parts so that they can withstand the waves in the open sea.

All parts and machinery of fishing vessels are carefully inspected. Parts on fishing vessels that are regularly repaired, especially propellers, are often repaired due to siltation in waterways and fishing ports. In addition, machinery on fishing vessels also needs regular maintenance.