Custom Marine Switchboard Design for the Endeavour V Fishing Trawler

When NU‑Design Limited, a marine electrical services provider based in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, required a bespoke control‑centre solution for a new Scottish trawler, the Endeavour V, its engineers turned to Rittal UK. The task was to design a marine switchboard for a distribution and motor‑control centre (MCC) that would be installed in the vessel’s tight switch room.

The Challenge

The Endeavour V is a Bureau Veritas +1A1 certified fishing vessel designed by Macduff Shipyards Ltd. While the hull was built at Finomar Shipyard in Szczecin, Poland, the MCC panels must feed all onboard electric motors. The main switchboard distributes 415 V to distribution boards and 415/230 V to transformers that supply the vessel’s applications.

Design requirements were highly specific: the switchboard had to comply with all marine regulations, fit within a small switch‑room, and be installed while the ship was still on land—a narrow window that closed once construction finished.

The Solution

Rittal’s engineering team produced an initial design using proprietary configuration software. After client review, the layout was reshaped into an L‑shaped panel to fit the tight corner of the Endeavour V switch room.

Specialist electricians from R.D. Downies Ltd, a Fraserburgh‑based marine electrical company, carried out installation and commissioning, ensuring the project stayed on schedule.

With decades of maritime experience, Rittal leveraged its Ri4Power and RiLine60 busbar systems, benchmarked against Lloyds and DNV standards. For this project, additional busbar rules were applied: fault‑rating certification and a minimum copper cross‑sectional area were mandated. Power‑distribution and motor‑control sections were physically separated within the L‑shaped board, enhancing operator clarity and simplifying routine maintenance.

Unlike land‑based switchgear, the trawler’s switchboard must accommodate two generators and an onshore mains connection, handling a peak load of around 500 A. Rittal’s engineers designed a bus‑coupler and a dedicated on‑shore mains connector, meticulously planning cable routes in the space‑constrained environment.

The final design offers real‑time generator monitoring, synchronising controls, and a suite of marine‑specific features: clear labeling, interlocking, handrails, high IP ratings, and a user‑friendly maintenance guide.

Pete Buchan, Electrical Design Engineer at NU‑Design says, “Rittal was selected because of the marine‑type approval, availability of stock, and the ease of construction for the modular assembly.”

Following the success of the Endeavour V switchboard, a second board is now under construction for another fishing trawler, slated for completion in summer 2021.

For more information, visit Rittal UK and Friedhelm Loh Group, or follow @rittal_ltd on Twitter.