GB1584463A - Trawling - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO :TRAWLING (71) We, J. MARR & SON LIMITED, a British company, 228 Dock Street, Fleet- ; wood, Lancashire, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be par ticularly- described in and by the following statement :- This invention relates to a method of extending a heavy rope across the water from one floating vessel to another, and to a method of pair fishing.

Pair fishing, or the use of two vessels to deploy and tow a single trawl, has been familiar to Spanish fishermen for - about the last fifty years. Because the trawl is initially carried by-only one of the trawlers, if it is to be suspended between them, there must be devised some method of transferring the end of a heavy or hauling rope from one vessel to another. This method may, on the one hand, involve extensive modifications to the hulls of the craft as it does in the Spanish example, or may simply be effected by drawing the trawlers alongside each other and having one end of the rope manuaXy thrown- across the gap. Although this latter method can be safely executed by the smaller wooden craft, it would be a hazardous undertaking indeed for the large steel-hulled trawlers of modern fisheries.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method of extending a hauling rope from one floating vessel to another that requires neither modification of the hulls of either vessel nor requires the two vessels, to draw dangerously close to each other.

If the two vessels are trawlers then it is a further object of the present invention to provide a method of pair fishing that may be practised following mere addition of equip ment to their decks and without .modifica- tion of their hulls. According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of transferring a hauling rope be tween two ships at sea, the method compris ing extending a transfer line between the two ships by means of -floating the line between the two ships, them line being taken up on both ships on powered hauling gear, attach ing one end of a hauling rope of one ship to the transfer line and passing it to the other ship by paying out the transfer line from the one ship and taking it in on - the other ship.

The transfer wire may comprise a separ ate traveller wire from each ship, with the two wires connected to one another at their respective outboard ends, or it may com prise a single wire the ends of which are taken up respectively on the two ships. The transfer line may be extended between the two ships by bringing up one ship astern of the other, and floating the outboard end of the traveller wire from the other ship or the respective end of the single wire as the case may be, to trail the end concerned to the one ship. The traveller wires or-the single wire as the case may consist of a floatable material; and a floatable marker may be attached to the transfer line to pro vide an indication as to the relative amounts of the line taken on each ship. The transfer line may be attached to a buoy serving as a float for the line.

In a second aspect of the present inven tion there is provided a method of pair fishing by two trawlers, comprising extend ing a transfer line between the two ships by means of floating the line between the two ships, the line being taken up on both ships on powered hauling gear, releasing a trawl from - one of the ships, attaching one end of a hauling line of the other ship to the transfer line and passing it to the one ship by paying out the transfer line from the other ship and taking it in on the one ship, connecting the bridle of the trawl nearest the other ship to the hauling line, and haul ing in the hauling line to the other ship to bring the bridle thereto, attaching the bridle -of the trawl on each ship to a warp, paying out the warps to deploy the trawl, and thereafter hauling in the warps.

In this second aspect of the invention, the method may include the further operation of taking in the trawl on a first of the trawlers, the further operation comprising attaching the bridle carried by the second of the trawlers to a hauling line of the first trawler transferred to the second trawler by the transfer line, and hauling in the hauling line on the first trawler to transfer the bridle thereto and then hauling in the trawl on board the first trawler. Preferably, said first trawler is the one from which the trawl was released in the first place.

In a preferred working of the invention, the traveller wires, and the warps in the case of trawlers, are secured to their respective vessels by way of self tensioning winches that ensure constant tension regardless of the motions of the vessels and in which the traveller wires extend aft from the winches to bollards that allow the wires to leave the vessel from either the port or starboard side.

Advantageously, the warps would be sufficiently long for that region of each warp immediately before the bridles to drag along the sea bed, such that fish might be harded into the trawl by the resultant disturbances at the sides.

The invention will be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 are plans of two trawlers between which is being extended a heavy rope, Figs. 5 and 6 are plans of the trawlers towing a trawl, and Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are plans of the trawlers hauling the trawl.

Fig. 1 shows trawlers 1 and 2 afloat on the sea and moving in the directions indicated by the arrows at a speed of about 2 knots.

From a self tensioning winch 5 and passing via bollards 6, a first traveller wire 11, is streamed from the starboard aft of trawler 1. A buoy 12, which is attached to the end of the traveller wire 11, is intercepted in the wake of trawler 1 on the port side of trawler 2 and attached to the free ends of a heavy or hauling rope 16 and to a second traveller wire 13, originating from a tensioning winch 7 and passing from the port aft of trawler 2 via a bollard 8. Whilst trawler 1 keeps a steady course, trawler 2 increases speed and comes abeam of trawler 1 as shown in Figures 2 and 3, in which configuration the buoy 12 with the heavy rope 16 are delivered to the starboard aft of trawler 1 by the simultaneous retraction and extension of traveller wires 11 and 13 respectively. During the preceding operation a trawl is released from the stern of trawler 1 to which it is secured by two warps (not shown in Fig. 3) and two bridles 22 and 23, the end of the bridle 23 being subsequently released from its warp, attached to the heavy rope 16 and hauled to trawler 2. The total length of traveller wire between the two trawlers 1 and 2 in the course of this manoeuvre is between 150 and 200 fathoms.

On receipt of the bridle 23 at trawler 2, the bridle 23 is attached to warp 25 astern of trawler 2. Fig. 5 shows the beginning of the towing stage, in which trawlers 1 and 2, shown here to be about 200 fathoms apart, have altered course by two points in opposite directions, increased speed to six knots whilst paying out warps 24 and 25 and the traveller wires 11 and 13. Constant tension winches 5 and 7 are set to keep the traveller wires 11 and 13, which are actually nylon ropes of 19 tons breaking strain, at a tension of up to 1,800 Ibs. with a further set of self tensioning winches (not shown) to keep the warps, which are 3 inch diameter steel cables of li tons breaking strain, at tensions of up to 3,000 Ibs. The final towing configuration is illustrated in Fig. 6 where the trawlers 1 and 2 are shown separated by a distance of 2 to 22 cables and the warps are each extended to a length of 850 fathoms. In 80 fathoms of water such a length of warp would allow that portion of each warp immediately before the bridles 22 and 23, to draw along the sea bed and thereby create a disturbance on either side of the trawl 21 that would herd fish into it.

The trawl is now retrieved by trawler 1; the two trawlers pursuing converging paths whilst the warps 24 and 25 are retracted and the traveller wires are retracted to take up the decreasing distance between the trawler. At the end of this manoeuvre, one hauling rope of trawler 1 is attached to the buoy which is then returned to trawler 2 by the extension and retraction of traveller wires 11 and 13 respectively as shown in Fig. 8. On receiving the buoy 12 at port aft of trawler 2, bridle 23 of the trawl 21 it attached to the heavy rope 15 and hauled in by trawler 1, where bridle 23 is released from the heavy rope 15, attached to the end of a warp (not shown) to allow the trawl 21 to be hauled on board trawler 1.

During the transfer of bridle 23 to trawler 1, trawl 26 is released astern trawler 2, preparatory to the next shoot.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. A method of transferring a hauling rope between two ships at sea, the method comprising extending a transfer line between the two ships by means of floating the line between the two ships, the line being taken up on both ships on powered hauling gear, attaching one end of a hauling rope of one ship to the transfer line and passing it'tb the other ship by paying out the transfer

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (23)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. out the warps to deploy the trawl, and thereafter hauling in the warps. In this second aspect of the invention, the method may include the further operation of taking in the trawl on a first of the trawlers, the further operation comprising attaching the bridle carried by the second of the trawlers to a hauling line of the first trawler transferred to the second trawler by the transfer line, and hauling in the hauling line on the first trawler to transfer the bridle thereto and then hauling in the trawl on board the first trawler. Preferably, said first trawler is the one from which the trawl was released in the first place. In a preferred working of the invention, the traveller wires, and the warps in the case of trawlers, are secured to their respective vessels by way of self tensioning winches that ensure constant tension regardless of the motions of the vessels and in which the traveller wires extend aft from the winches to bollards that allow the wires to leave the vessel from either the port or starboard side. Advantageously, the warps would be sufficiently long for that region of each warp immediately before the bridles to drag along the sea bed, such that fish might be harded into the trawl by the resultant disturbances at the sides. The invention will be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 are plans of two trawlers between which is being extended a heavy rope, Figs. 5 and 6 are plans of the trawlers towing a trawl, and Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are plans of the trawlers hauling the trawl. Fig. 1 shows trawlers 1 and 2 afloat on the sea and moving in the directions indicated by the arrows at a speed of about 2 knots. From a self tensioning winch 5 and passing via bollards 6, a first traveller wire 11, is streamed from the starboard aft of trawler 1. A buoy 12, which is attached to the end of the traveller wire 11, is intercepted in the wake of trawler 1 on the port side of trawler 2 and attached to the free ends of a heavy or hauling rope 16 and to a second traveller wire 13, originating from a tensioning winch 7 and passing from the port aft of trawler 2 via a bollard 8. Whilst trawler 1 keeps a steady course, trawler 2 increases speed and comes abeam of trawler 1 as shown in Figures 2 and 3, in which configuration the buoy 12 with the heavy rope 16 are delivered to the starboard aft of trawler 1 by the simultaneous retraction and extension of traveller wires 11 and 13 respectively. During the preceding operation a trawl is released from the stern of trawler 1 to which it is secured by two warps (not shown in Fig. 3) and two bridles 22 and 23, the end of the bridle 23 being subsequently released from its warp, attached to the heavy rope 16 and hauled to trawler 2. The total length of traveller wire between the two trawlers 1 and 2 in the course of this manoeuvre is between 150 and 200 fathoms. On receipt of the bridle 23 at trawler 2, the bridle 23 is attached to warp 25 astern of trawler 2. Fig. 5 shows the beginning of the towing stage, in which trawlers 1 and 2, shown here to be about 200 fathoms apart, have altered course by two points in opposite directions, increased speed to six knots whilst paying out warps 24 and 25 and the traveller wires 11 and 13. Constant tension winches 5 and 7 are set to keep the traveller wires 11 and 13, which are actually nylon ropes of 19 tons breaking strain, at a tension of up to 1,800 Ibs. with a further set of self tensioning winches (not shown) to keep the warps, which are 3 inch diameter steel cables of li tons breaking strain, at tensions of up to 3,000 Ibs. The final towing configuration is illustrated in Fig. 6 where the trawlers 1 and 2 are shown separated by a distance of 2 to 22 cables and the warps are each extended to a length of 850 fathoms. In 80 fathoms of water such a length of warp would allow that portion of each warp immediately before the bridles 22 and 23, to draw along the sea bed and thereby create a disturbance on either side of the trawl 21 that would herd fish into it. The trawl is now retrieved by trawler 1; the two trawlers pursuing converging paths whilst the warps 24 and 25 are retracted and the traveller wires are retracted to take up the decreasing distance between the trawler. At the end of this manoeuvre, one hauling rope of trawler 1 is attached to the buoy which is then returned to trawler 2 by the extension and retraction of traveller wires 11 and 13 respectively as shown in Fig. 8. On receiving the buoy 12 at port aft of trawler 2, bridle 23 of the trawl 21 it attached to the heavy rope 15 and hauled in by trawler 1, where bridle 23 is released from the heavy rope 15, attached to the end of a warp (not shown) to allow the trawl 21 to be hauled on board trawler 1. During the transfer of bridle 23 to trawler 1, trawl 26 is released astern trawler 2, preparatory to the next shoot. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1. A method of transferring a hauling rope between two ships at sea, the method comprising extending a transfer line between the two ships by means of floating the line between the two ships, the line being taken up on both ships on powered hauling gear, attaching one end of a hauling rope of one ship to the transfer line and passing it'tb the other ship by paying out the transfer

line from the one ship and taking it in on the other ship.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the hauling gear employed on each ship comprises a constant-tension winch.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the transfer line comprises a traveller wire from each ship with the two wires connected to one another at the respective outboard ends thereof.

4. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the transfer line comprises a single wire the ends of which are taken up respectively on the two ships.

5. A method according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the transfer line is extended between the two ships by bringing up one ship astern of the other, and floating the outboard end of the traveller wire from the other ship or the respective end of the single wire as the case may be, to trail the end concerned to the one ship.

6. A method according to claim 3, 4 or 5, wherein traveller wires are or a single wire is, as the case may be, used made of floatable material.

7. A method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a floatable marker is attached to the transfer line to provide an indication as to the relative amounts of the line taken up on each ship.

8. A method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the transfer line is attached to a buoy serving as a float for the line.

9. A method of pair fishing by two trawlers, comprising extending a transfer line between the two ships by means of floating the line between the two ships, the line being taken up on both ships on powered hauling gear, releasing a trawl from one of the ships, attaching one end of a hauling line of the other ship to the transfer line and passing it to the one ship by paying out the transfer line from the other ship and taking it in on the one ship, connecting the bridle of the trawl nearest the other ship to the hauling line, and hauling in the hauling line to the other ship to bring the bridle thereto, attaching the bridle of the trawl on each ship to a warp, paying out the warps to deploy the trawl and thereafter hauling in the warps.

10. A method according to claim 9, including the further operation of taking in the trawl on a first of the two trawlers, the further operation comprising attaching the bridle carried by the second of the two trawlers to a hauling line of the first trawler, the hauling line having been transferred to the second trawler by the transfer line, and hauling in the hauling line on the first trawler to transfer the bridle thereto, and then hauling in the trawl on board the first trawler.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein said first of the trawlers is the one from which the trawl was first released.

12. A method according to claim 9, 10 or 11, wherein the two trawlers sail a divergent course as the warps of the trawl are paid out, and the transfer line is extended to take up the increasing distance between the two ships.

13. A method according to claims 10 and 12, wherein the two trawlers sail a convergent course as the warps of the trawl are hauled in; the transfer line being hauled in on both trawlers to take up the decreasing distance between them.

14. A method according to claim 10 or any of claims 11 to 13 as dependent thereon, wherein as one of the trawlers hauls in the trawl, the other of the trawlers releases a further trawl.

15. A method according to any of preceding claims 9 to 14, wherein the hauling gear employed on each ship for hauling the transfer line comprises a constant-tension winch.

16. A method according to any of preceding claims 9 to 15, wherein the transfer line comprises a separate traveller wire from each ship, with the two wires connected to one another at then respective outboard ends.

17. A method according to any of preceding claims 9 to 15, wherein the transfer line comprises a single wire the ends of which are taken up respectively on the two ships.

18. A method according to claim 16 or 17, wherein the transfer line is extended between the two ships by bringing up one ship astern of the other, and floating the outboard end of the traveller wire from the other ship or one end of the single wire as the case may be to trail the end concerned to the one ship.

19. A method according to claim 16, 17 or 18 wherein traveller wires are or a single wire, is as the case may be, used made of floatable material.

20. A method according to any of preceding claims 9 to 19, wherein a floatable marker is attached to the transfer line to provide an indication of the relative amounts of the line- taken up on each ship.

21. A method according to any of preceding claims 9 to 20, wherein the transfer line is attached to a buoy serving as a float for the line.

22. A method of transferring a hauling line between two ships at sea substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

23. A method of pair fishing substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.