Most of the vessels which the boat rentals charter for deep-sea fishing are constructed at Seigla on Akureyri or Bátasmiðja Guðmundar in Hafnarfjörður. The vessels from Seigla are simply called Seiglubátar, but the vessels from Bátasmiðja Guðmundar are called Sómabátar (Somiboats).

They are agile and skilfully constructed vessel which are made of fibre plastic. They are good sea vessels; they are about 7 metre long with a good work area on the deck. At the front of the vessel is a forecastle with room for four to five people. There is a small heat fan which heats up the forecastle so that the people on board are more comfortable. 

In the wheelhouse is a small steering wheel to control the vessel. There are also meters which monitor the running of the engine and the amount of oil on the vessel‘s oil tank; there are as well as a compass, plotter and a echo sounder which are usually all combined into one equipment.

 

AIS (Automatic Identification System) is an automatic tracking system on the vessel, but the equipment sends out information of the position of the vessel at each time to the Icelandic Maritime service, which immediately sees if a signal is lost, and then makes enquiries about the vessel and starts a search if there seems to be a reason.

Other equipments are the accelerator and the transmission to shift between forward, reverse and neutral settings; in neutral the propeller is stop. The engine is at the back of the vessel with a so-called sterndrive, which is a combination of a rudder and a propeller.

 

The life-raft is stored on top of the wheelhouse of the Seiglubátar, but on the Somiboats is the life-raft stored at the back of the vessel. In the centre of the vessels is room for two fish tubs and they are shored up there. 
It  is a hallmark of a good crew to keep things in place on the vessel and take good care of the catch.

 

The operation area of pleasure fishing vessels is limited to coastal sailings and the territorial waters where sufficient reception is for the vessel’s mandatory communication equipment and AIS tracking system. Because the reception of a communication equipment and a tracking system can experienced restrictions resulted from communication conditions or because the communication equipment and the tracking system which the vessels are equipped with, the shipping company shall make sure that such areas are exempted from the operation area of pleasure fishing vessels to ensure that there is always conditions for a direct commutation- and tracking signal between a pleasure fishing vessel and the coast.

Operation area of open pleasure fishing vessel shall be limited to territorial waters up to 3 miles from the shore. 

The running of open pleasure fishing vessels shall be limited to the period from 1st of April to 1st of October.

The Icelandic Maritime Administration can pass more detailed requirements concerning the operation area of pleasure fishing vessels with regard to season, light conditions, state of the sea and limitations in capacity, or demands to the one which functions as the captain to take care of safety of the vessel and those onboard.