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CANADIAN FISHERIES REPORTS No. 7 OCTOBER 1966

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-, ECRETARIAT, INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT SERVICE

DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES OF CANADA, OTTAWA

CANADIAN FISHERIES REPORTS No. 7 OCTOBER 1966

proceedings canadian atlantic offshore fishing vessel conference montreal, february 7-9,1966

SECRETARIAT; INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT SERVICE

DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES OF CANADA, OTTAWA

SPONSORED BY THE FEDERAL-PROVINCIAL ATLANTIC FISHERIES COMMITTEE Secretary Industrial Development Section, Federal-Provincial Atlantic Fisheries Committee—Robert Hart

Editor of Proceedings—James Kinloch

ROGER DUHAMEL, F.R.S.C. QUEEN'S PRINTER AND CONTROLLER OF STATIONERY OTTAWA, 1967

Cat. No. Fs 4-24/6 Table of Contents III

THE FEDERAL-PROVINCIAL ATLANTIC FISHERIES COMMITTEE

Members

A. W. H. Needler, Deputy Minister of Fisheries of Canada (Chairman).

Maurice Lessard, Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Industry and Commerce, Quebec.

Brian Meagher, Deputy Minister of Fisheries, Nova Scotia.

Leonce Chenard, Deputy Minister of Fisheries, New Brunswick.

Eugene M. Gorman, Deputy Minister of Fisheries, Prince Edward Island,

Eric M., Gosse, Deputy Minister of Fisheries, Newfoundland,.

Officers of Conference

General Chairman A. W. H. Needler

General Secretary L. S. Bradbury, Director, Industrial Development Service, Department of Fisheries of Canada.

Members of the Federal-Provincial Atlantic Fisheries Committee at opening session of Conference. Left to right: Dr. A.W.H. Needler, Deputy Minister of Fisheries of Canada; Eugene M. Gorman, Deputy Minister of Fisheries of Prince Edward Island; Eric M. Gosse, Deputy Minister of Fisheries, Newfoundland; Maurice Lessard, Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Industry and Commerce, Quebec; Dr. Leonce Chenard, Deputy Minister of Fisheries of New Brunswick, and Brian Meagher, Deputy Minister of Fisheries of Nova Scotia. At rostrum: L.S. Bradbury, Director, Industrial Development Service, Department of Fisheries of Canada, who was General Secretary of the Conference. CONTENTS

Page

Chairman's Opening Remarks: A.W.H. Needler 1 Welcome to Montreal: John Lynch-Staunton 2 Reply: David Corney 3 tviorning Session, February 7, 1966

DEVELOPMENT OF CANADIAN OFFSHORE FISHING OPERATIONS IN THE NORTH- WEST ATLANTIC Moderator, L.S. Bradbury

Offshore Fishing in Quebec. Present Conditions and Future Development —Maurice Lessard 7 Nova Scotia — Brian Meagher 9 Views of the New Brunswick Department of Fisheries on Offshore Fishing Vessels — Leonce Chenard 13 Offshore Operations, Prince Edward Island — Eugene M. Gorman 15 The Growth of Newfoundland's Offshore Fishing Fleet — Eric M. Gosse 17 Discussion 18

Afternoon Session, February 7, 1966

THE FISHING INDUSTRY'S VIEWPOINT ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSELS Moderator, Eric M. Gosse

Planning for Greater Food Production — David Corney 23 Quebec Viewpoint — Guy LeBlanc 27 Stern Trawler Trends and Developments Applicable to Eastern Canadian Fisheries — John W. Barker • 33 Discussion .. 48 Newfoundland Fishing Industry's Viewpoint — Paul Russell 51 The Future and Canadian Offshore Fishing Vessels — W.R. Murdoch 57 A Skipper's Viewpoint on Offshore Fishing Vessels — Captain M. Rodgerson 63 Discussion 67

Morning Session, February 8, 1966 Moderator, Brian Meagher

Engineering and Design of an 89-foot Combination Vessel — Mike Waters and Marcel Goulet; presented by Fernand Paul-Hus 71

V VI CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE

Wooden Trawlers — D.A. Eisenhauer 83 Fish Handling On Board and Fish Unloading Methods — D.R. Stonely and R.D.B. Hopkins 93 Fish Carriers — John Stubbs 115 Discussion 118 Moderator, Eugene M. Gorman Stability of a Fishing Vessel — Walter J. McInnis 127 Comfort in Fishing Boats. The Fisherman's Status — J.F. Minnee 133 Crew Accomodation in Trawlers — W.J. Milne 137 Discussion 141

Afternoon Session, February 8, 1966

Moderator, Leonce Chenard Steel Stem Trawlers — John A. Marsters 147 A Naval Architect's Viewpoint on a Canadian Designed Stern Trawler— G.E. Kristinsson 165 Some Hydrodynamic Characteristics of Three Hull Designs for a Canadian Designed Stem Trawler — J.S.C. Straszak and I.T. Ferguson 195 A Fishing Technologist's Viewpoin t on a Canadian Design ed Stern Trawler — W.W. Johnson 259 The Design and Construction of Trawlers from 1955 to 1965 — Harry Taylor 271 Discussion 299 Automation on Trawlers — Conrad Birkoff 303 Single Deck Combination Vessels — E.C.B. Corlett 315 Recurring Problems with Trawlers — E.R. Gueroult 333 British Trawler Development with Special Reference to Trials — Investigations in Com- mercial Fishing Conditions — G.C. Eddie 345 Discussion 356

Morning Session, February 9, 1966 Moderator, Maurice Lessard Trawling Development in Germany — J. Schârfe 359 Holds, Storages, Facilities and Equipment for Handling Iced and Frozen Fish on Cana- dian Trawlers — W.A. MacCallum 369 Scallop Draggers — B.J. Comeau 383 Sealing and Whaling Vessels — Karl Karlsen 385 Combination Fishing Vessels — William M. Reid 393 Some Economic Considerations Relating to Canadian Atlantic Offshore Fishing Vessels — John Proskie 401 Trawler Design and the Decision to Build — D.J. Doust 425 The Behaviour of Fishing Vessels: Some Justifications for Improving Sea-worthiness by Passive Stabilization — Arne Gry3nningsaeter 431 Discussion 435 Address by Jan Olof-Traung, Guest Speaker after Dinner, February 8 . 439 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE VII

Conference hosts: Hon. H.J. Robichaud, Minister of Fisheries of Canada, left and Hon. Gérard D. Lévesque, Minister of Industry and Commerce, Quebec.

Canadian Fishcries Reports is published under the authority of the Minister by the Depart- ment of Fisheries of Canada, as a means of providing for circulation of specialized information of interest to the fishing industry, from the primary enterprise to the end product. Articles may deal with conservation, inspection, development, economics and related subjects. Responsibility for statements made or conclusions reached in published articles remains with the authors. Those who wish to discuss articles herein are encouraged to do so, and space will be made available in futtire issues. Correspondence should be addressed to the DIRECTOR, INFORMATION AND CON- SUMER SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES, OTTAWA, CANADA. This issue is devoted exclusively to the proceedings of the Canadian Atlantic Offshore Fishing Vessel Conference, held in Montreal, P.Q., February 7-9, 1966.

Published under Authority

HON. H. J. ROBICHAUD, M.P. Minister of Fisheries Chairman's Opening Remarks

Dr. A.W.H. Needier, Deputy Minister of Fisheries of been expanding at a rapidly increasing pace. In the Canada: Federal Department of Fisheries we have almost given up forecasts because every time we take a new look Before calling on the Moderator of our first session we have to make an upward revision. Based on what I should like to say a few words about the nature and we know of the industry's plans to increase its fishing objectives of this Conference. power, it is evident that it expects to increase the one For several years the Federal-Provincial Atlantic billion pound catch to two billion or more in the next Fisheries Committee has brought together the senior decade. Perhaps our next forecast would be higher fisheries officials of the six gove rn ments concerned still. vith Canadian Atlantic Fisheries —the Governments of Now, gentlemen, this is a highly competitive Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova branch of the fishing industry. We compete with the Scotia and Newfoundland and of Canada — to co-operate vessels of a dozen other nations in catching the fish in the solution of fisheries problems. This Committee and any serious expansion of the fishing effort will has been very effective in bringing about a joint intensify this competition and make it more difficult approach to these problems, especially those of fish- and expensive to catch fish. Once the fish are landed eries development. In fact we can boast that Federal- we compete with every other good protein food for the Provincial differences have never been a serious factor consumer's dollar — so we must produce good quality in preventing whole-hearted and helpful co-operation. products on a competitive basis. This means that we This is the body sponsoring this Conference. must be just as efficient as possible if the current rapid expansion is to be profitable and not fall flat on Why a Conference on Canadian Atlantic Offshore its face. This conference is to make available to in- Fishing Vessels at this time? The answer is easy to dustry and, I might say, to governments the soundest give. This is a crucial time in the development of our knowledge and most advanced ideas that we can fisheries and a time when the very best knowledge and muster. thinking must be available to our industry. In what I have said so far I have had in mind the great, long-established but growing groundfish fishery. We must not, however, forget that there are other re- Of recent years there has been an expansion in sources at our doors which may in the long run be the long-established offshore fisheries for groundfish equally, or more, important. —the species such as cod, haddock, soles, flounders, ocean perch — which are the staples of the great and The Chairman has a great advantage over all other growing trade in fresh and, especially, in frozen fish. participants. He is able to have both the first and last Canada has been catching and selling about a billion words. I don't want to presume on this privilege but pounds of these species annually. Spurred by a per- there is one most important point that I must make sistent and apparently growing demand the catching before calling on Mr. Bradbury as Moderator of our first effort of the Canadian Atlantic fishery has recently session. 2 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE

The development of our fisheries depends not This meeting is a joint effort on your part, bring- only on vessels and their equipment. It depends even ing together five provinces and the Federal Govern- more importantly on men. Fishing is an ancient - in- ment. It is a happy combination, one which I am sure deed one of the most ancient of human occupations. will bring some very tangible results and while we in Recently it has on the one hand had to compete for Montreal, being city types, are obviously not directly manpower with ever-increasing demands and ever- concerned with the fishing industry, certainly we are improving working conditions from competitive occu- indirectly; here we have many shipyards and many pations. On the other hand it has become more and professionals involved in the fishing industry, and more skilled in the technical sense. I feel that the while your efforts will perhaps bring tangible results fisheries have been developed to their present stage to fishermen, certainly we here expect to get some by enlisting the efforts of the very best of our people direct results from it also. A joint effort, one which - individuals with courage and resourcefulness. Can we will watch with care because here in Montreal we we, who are interested in fisheries, keep them with are involved in a joint effort called Expo '67. Expo is us? This Conference can help if it is remembered not a Montreal affair or a Quebec affair. It is a nation- that, if it cannot provide incomes and working con- al undertaking - the Expo organization was a creature ditions good enough to keep the best people, the fish- of the Federal Parliament by unanimous vote of all ing industry cannot expand or indeed survive as a real these in attendance. It is a Crown Corporation run by contributor to our society. Canadian citizens from across our country, supported by federal funds, provincial funds and city funds, not And so we meet at a time when everyone asso- to speak of the many funds coming in from the Pavil- ciated with Canadian Atlantic fisheries needs every ions which are to be built, one of course being the bit of sound information and every idea for still better joint Maritime Pavilion, another being the Quebec things that you can give us. Pavilion, and the National Pavilion. So all of you in I cannot close without wishing you welcome on this room have a particular concern since your prov- behalf of all six governments of the Federal-Provincial inces and your country are being represented at Expo. Atlantic Fisheries Committee. I must especially thank Let me emphasize this particular aspect of it - this those who have come from outside Canada to help us. is a national undertaking, made up of Canadians, for I not only wish you all an interesting and profitable Canadians, to celebrate Confederation next year. So time but I look for real benefits to the people engaged when you go back to your homes and your offices and in our Canadian Atlantic fisheries. they ask you how Expo Montreal is coming along you will be doing yourselves and us a great favour by Dr. Needler then called on Mr. John Lynch-Staunton, saying "it is not their Expo, it is our Expo, and if it as representative of His Worship Mayor Jean Drapeau fails it will be our failure". I hope that you will have of Montreal. a chance to visit the site while you are here. This is Mr. Lynch-Staunton: We are delighted that this of course the most spectacular project going on in Conference should be held in Montreal and, as your Montreal. Of course there are many others - we are Chairman has said, let us hope that this will be the now in the last lap of completing a new subway which first of many. We are happy to have you in our metrop- will be opening by mid-September, and of course there olis, in a province which, if you have come from are some tremendous real estate developments which outside, you will have heard a great deal about. you can see by just stepping out of this hotel. Perhaps you were wondering about how you would be received here, particularly as the farther away one seems to be from this province the more leery one is I know your agenda is a heavy one, an important of coming here and participating in the many ventures one, and a serious one. I have no doubt that this meet- which are undertaken. As you can see, we each have ing will be a success but that your agenda will allow one nose, two eyes, and we can speak English quite you a certain amount of time to visit us, to see what freely. Mind you, in this building, the one that Donald is going on around here and to perhaps take back a Gordon built, we have to be particularly careful about better visualization of our city than when you came our bilingual approach, but despite our differences we here first. I can assure you that we will be following still get along quite well. your meetings with interest and we hope that you will Opening Remarks 3 come back to us very soon. Either as a group or indi- gentlemen, to express a personal wish, I would hope vidually I can assure you that your welcome here will that in the year 1967 the President of the Fisheries always be as warm and as sincere as the one I have Council of Canada will be a native son of the Province tried to express. of Quebec and that he will preside over the biggest national fisheries convention ever held in the 22-year Mr. David Corney, President, Fisheries Council of history of the Fisheries Council of Canada. This con- Canada: It is with pleasure and gratitude that I rise ference will be held right here in your city, and in this on this occasion to express the appreciation of this very hotel. Conference for the truly outstanding welcome you have extended on behalf of the Major of the City of Montreal. Today, sir, you have launched a Conference for Yours is a beautiful and exciting city and one of which fisheries development that is unique in the history of we, as Canadians from coast to coast, are justifiably Canada, or in North America for that matter. Scientists, proud. We shall, as Canadians, demonstrate our pride technologists, naval architects, and industrialists are and our pleasure in this great metropolis during Cen- here from Canada and all over the world at this first tennial Year, now just a few months away. An out- conference of its kind in Canada and it is hoped that standing example of the esteem in which this city and the fishing technology of tomorrow will be influenced province are held will be highlighted by the Canadian by our deliberations. And so I take great satisfaction fishing industry during Centennial Year in 1967, at in expressing our sincere pleasure in your welcome, which time the National Convention of the Fisheries sir, which has been given, I might say, with the full- Council of Canada will be held in Montreal. hearted friendliness and hospitality for which this grand city is internationally famous. We on our part, The fishermen and fishing industry of Quebec play during the next few days, will start to make this Con- a very important role in the work of this national or- ference a great leap forward in Canada's fishing in- ganization which welds our fishing industry together dustry, and what finer place could this occur than in from coast to coast. If I may be permitted, sir, and Montreal, a city that reaches for tomorrow? Th ank you.

Morning Session, February 7, 1966

Development of Canadian Offshore Fishing Operations in the Northwest Atlantic

Moderator

L. S. Bradbury

Offshore Fishing in Quebec - Present Conditions and Future Development

by Maurice Lessard Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Industry and Commerce, Quebec

INTRODUCTION 7. Cap David 1963 129.64 8. PP Joan Margaret 1963 129.64 9. Reine de la Mer 1963 129.99 Prior to 1951, fishing in Quebec was exclusively 10. Enid Sharon 1963 129.80 11. Havre-aux-Maisons II 1963 129.95 a small-boat enterprise carried on near the coast by 12. IP Le Ponchon 1964 130.98 boats generally less than 35-ft long. The introduction, 13. Steel trawler, 129 ft. Prime 1963 311.96 14. Excel-0 1964 312.04 in 1951, of a 50-ft trawler and a 57-ft longliner, for 15. Trawler-seiner, 89 ft. Villmont No , 2 1965 150.90 experimental purposes, marked the beginning of a 16. Margie B 1965 151.09 17. 11 Mary Joanne 1965 151.11 modernization period presently being pursued at an Under Construction accelerated rate. 18. Stern trawler . 152 ft. 1966 500 As of December 1, 1965, the Quebec offshore fleet There are in operation in Quebec 17 steel vessels included the following units : of more than 100 tons, a total of 2,834 tons. The total construction cost of these 17 vessels was $4,685,- 49 Gaspésiennes; 935.00. The addition of a 152-ft. stern trawler, now 7 longliners; building, for the Quebec United Fishermen and which 1 mussel culture boat; will be in operation in 1966, will increase the total 91 60- and 65-ft wooden draggers; tonnage to 3,300 tons and the total cost to $5,794,- 12 82-ft steel trawlers; 235 for vessels of 100 tons and over. 3 89-ft trawler-seiners; 2 129-ft steel trawlers; 2. Fishing Vessel Construction Program. in all, 165 units with a total gross tonnage of nearly During the next three years the Province of Que- 10,000 tons. bec contemplates financing the construction of the following units: 1. Vessels of 100 Tons and Over Total 1966 1967 1968 The following table is a résumé of the present Number Tonnage makeup of the Quebec fleet of vessels of 100 tons and (a) Small stem trawlers over, which are the subject of study at this Congress. (Myrefisk type-90 ft 160 tons) 2 2 2 6 960 Fishing Vessels of 100 Tons and Over (b) Trawler-seiners in the Quebec Fleet (as at Dec. 1, 1965) (89 ft- 150 tons) 3 3 3 9 1,350 (c) Stem trawlers Year nross Class Name (155 ft-500 tons) 1 1 2 4 2,000 built tonnage Total: 6 6 7 19 4,310 1. Steel Trawler, 82 ft. Bienvenue 1961 129.12 2. Marc II 1962 129.56 3. /I Flot Bleu 1962 129.62 4., 7.1 Linda Luc 1962 129.59 This does not include the stern trawler presently 5. Paspebiac 1963 129.63 6 , Doreen Elaine 1963 129.54 under construction. 8 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE

Thus, during the next three years, the Quebec million; this should increase to 317 million pounds, fleet of 100-ton vessels will increase from 18 to 37 with a value of nearly $11 million by 1975. This fore- units. The total tonnage, from 3,300 tons in 1965, will cast is based on a 5% yearly average increase in catch, be increased to 7,610 tons by the end of 1968. with no increase in price.

3. Planning Offshore Fishing The main increase will be in herring, with the a. Bottom Fish - Quebec does not intend to relax catch increasing from 40 million pounds in 1965 to its effort in the exploitation of bottom species in the 150 million pounds in 1975. Redfish catches should Gulf of St. Lawrence. On the contrary, it is intended increase from 35 million in 1965 to 60 million pounds to further develop this fishery, particularly by extend- in 1975. Cod landings, which were about 55 million ing the season both in the spring and autumn. It is pounds in 1965, should increase to 78 million pounds considered that the 82-ft steel trawlers are very suit- in 1975. able for this purpose. Most of the twelve 82-ft trawlers b. Investment in the Fishing Fleet - The conin operation this past year have each taken 11/2 million struction of 35 new offshore fishing units, including 10 lb of fish, and a few will exceed the 2-million mark. stern trawlers, will be carried out by 1975. This will To further the fishery Quebec has undertaken the represent an investment of more than $20 million during development of a most modern fishing complex at the next ten years. Rivière-au-Renard, a port which is open most of the c. Number of Fishermen and Plant Employees - year. The total outlay for this complex will be nearly The total number of fishermen in Quebec will likely $3'/2 million. decrease over the next decade. This will be due main- Moreover, the three 89-ft trawler seiners built in ly to a decrease in the number of inshore fishermen, 1965, and the nine others to be built by the end of probably dropping from 3,000 in 1965 to less than 1968, together with the six small Myrefisk type stern 2,000 in 1975. However, offshore fishermen will prob- trawlers to be added to the Quebec fleet, although ably increase from 550 in 1965 to nearly 1,000 in essentially intended for Gulf fishing, could fish out- 1975. side the Gulf when required. The number of employees in Quebec processing By building five stern trawlers between now and plants will also probably double, that is, to nearly the end of 1968, Quebec also intends to exploit the 2000 by 1975. fishing grounds outside the Gulf. These 155-ft units will enable the harvesting of fish concentrations either CONCLUSION off Labrador, Newfoundland or on the Nova Scotia banks. For the next ten years, the Quebec fishery pro- b. Pelagic Fishes - During the year 1965 Quebec gram will be directed towards a more intensive exploi- took a first step towards increased catches of pelagic tation of the Gulf resources : extension of the fishing species in the Gulf of St. Lawrence by the granting of season with 82-ft steel vessels; a fishery complex at financial aid for the construction of three trawler- Rivière-au-Renard, a year-round harbour; the exploi- seiners. These vessels are equipped for fishing either tation of pelagic stocks with trawler-seiners. demersal or pelagic species. Nine other vessels of Beginning in 1966, Quebec intends to add to its this type will have been added to the fleet by the end fleet large stern trawlers capable of fishing outside of 1968. the Gulf.

4. Provision For The Next Ten Years The increases in tonnage and efficiency of the a. Catches and Landed Value - in 1965, total Quebec fleet should enable fishermen to catch a total catches in Quebec amounted to approximately 140 exceeding 300 million pounds of fish in 1975, compared million pounds, for all species, with a landed of $6 with the 140 million pounds in 1965. Nova Scotia Report: Development of Canadian Offshore Fishing Operations in the Northwest Atlantic

by Brian Meagher Deputy Minister of Fisheries, Nova Scotia

THE PAST The income of the fisherman has never been a true reflection of a realistic reward for the risks he under- For generations, the Canadian Atlantic fishery took and the work which he performed, but things are had been carried on without any worthwhile changes. changing and the importance of the fisherman as a Until the year 1960, the industry had been just hold- producer is being recognized at all levels of governing its own. For the most part, our deep sea fishing ment and by industry itself. vessels were old and dilapidated. Our plants, with few exceptions, did not reflect any credit on the fish- THE FISHERMAN ery industry as a processing industry. We have one of the world's greatest resources of Our thousands of small boat fishermen were fish- fish on Canada's doorstep. I believe as a result of ing in craft which were the same as those their fathers this Conference, Canada will place itself in a position and grandfathers had fished in for many years. It is to build the finest fishing vessels in the world. We true that thousands of them have put in little "one are neighbours with the greatest market in the world, lung" en gin es . an expanding market. The European Continent is one All in all, the progress towards the modernization of our greatest potential customers. All this presents and mechanization of our Canadian Atlantic fleet is a very encouraging and rosy picture of the future, but not something which has brought great credit to us. the future of the fishing industry of Canada will be jeopardized unless we can assure ourselves that we THE PRESENT have 10,000 highly skilled and trained fishermen by the year 1975. Our industry will progress not as fast When I am talking of the present, I refer to the as we build modern boats and modern fishing plants, period from 1960 to the present day. In this period, but just as fast as we are able to provide highly skilled I think it can be said that there has been a great rec- skippers, mates, engineers and fishermen. If we ognition of the need to develop the fi shing industry, can develop the same progressive approach to the to mechanize its operations, to expand its deep sea development of manpower policies as we are now fishery, to exploit stocks hitherto unexploited by developing to the design and construction of fishing Canadians but which are exploited by foreign countries. vessels, we can be assured of a bright future for the Perhaps most important of all is the consideration industry over the next several decades. which is now being given to the fisherman. The fisherman on Canada's East Coast has never has a status FISHING VESSELS in society which was commensurate with the risks he undertook, the labour he performed and the contribution When one industry gets so far behind other indus- which he made to the economic life of his province or tries, frightening things happen as industrial progress his country. begins to catch up. The successes of a thousand 10 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE land-based industries and indeed the space industries The day for timidity has passed. We now have can be and will be brought to bear on the backward the knowledge, the skills; we now have the will. We industry that is preparing itself for modernization. We can build the ships, we can train the men, we can have been considerably impressed by the design of the process and market the product and this is what shall trawler developed by the Industrial Development Serv- be done. ice of the federal Department of Fisheries, a model of which is on display at this Conference. While this I look forward to 1975, by which time I believe contains the latest ideas of shipbuilders, naval archi- Canada will have the most modern deepsea fishing tects, skippers, fishing gear technologists and others, vessels of any country in the world. In Nova Scotia, I understand that even before the design gets past the we look forward to a fleet of 200 large deepsea fishing drawing board stage, and certainly before the first vessels of various types but mainly capable of carry- vessels will be built from this design, work will be ing out diversified fishing operations. commencing on an improved design, and this is the The achievement of the kind of objective we have way it should be. in mind does not rest entirely with governments; it combined and concerted efforts of naval Perhaps we on the East Coast of Canada should rests on the and the fishing industry itself. be thinking in terms of building classes of vessels. architects, shipbuilders Surely in this day of mass production, we should be During the past five years, there has been an growing up and getting past the idea of building just evident trend towards an increase in the number of one of a kind or two of a kind. Cost factors demand larger trawlers, draggers and longliners being built that consideration be given to standardizing within for the Nova Scotia fishing industry. certain classes; otherwise the problem of replace- our Nova Scotia deepsea ments becomes an impossible one. The present strength of fishing fleet at the end of 1964 was 120 vessels for How shall we be fishing in 1975? Will our ships a total gross tonnage of 27,167 or an over-all average be completely automated? Will all our trawling gear be of 226 gross tons per vessel. This is broken down as electrified? Shall we have taken our first feeble steps follows: towards fish farming in the oceans? Who knows? Shall Total Average Number we see our first trawlers equipped with fish holds Gross Tons Gross Tons which will provide for unloading in 2-3 hours? Groundfish Boats 70 19,206 274 Scallop Draggers 50 7,961 159

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE In 1959, Canada had 211 vessels over 50 gross In January 1964, the Federal-Provincial Con- tons for a total of 26,742 gross tons doing ground- ference on the Development of the Canadian Fish- fishing in the ICNAF Convention area. In 1962, there eries was held. This was the first Conference of its were 231 vessels for a total of 29,483 gross tons. This kind. It was a significant Conference. Many people was a fleet tonnage increase of 10.2%. The ground- said that very little came out of the meetings, but fish caught in 1959 by these same vessels was 166,- one does not easily bestir an industry which has been 695 metric tons round fish — an average of 6.23 metric sleeping for 100 years. That Federal-Provincial Con- tons per ton of shipping; in 1962, the groundfish ference succeeded in making people think. It was as caught was 183,335 metric tons round fresh or an though the industry opened one eye and took a look average of 6.22 metric tons per ton of shipping. In at the future. Today I think we are opening the second other words, there was no change in the average metric eye to take another look at the future, but on the East tons of catch per ton of shipping over the three year Coast we are still, as it were, deciding whether to pe riod. get up from our long sleep, put our feet on the cold floor, open the window and shout out a challenge to We could go one step further, by adding to the 1962 our competitors who each year have been taking a fleet 41 scallop draggers for a total of 5,042 gross greater and greater percentage of the resources which tons. This would increase the total catch (which in- lie off our shores. cludes groundfish, swordfish and scallops) by 48,708

Brian Meagher 11

metric tons round fresh to a new over-all catch of Type of Boat Size Number 232,043 metric tons for an average of 6.72 metric tons Groundfish Trawlers (over 100') 90 per ton of shipping or an increase, for the three-year Herring Vessels (over 100') 40 period, of 8% in the average metric tons of total catch Whaling Vessels (over 100') 5 per ton of shipping. Groundfish Draggers (84'-100') 16 Longliners (84'-100') 20 The diversification of fisheries has tended to Scallop Draggers (over 100') 50 give a greater yield per ton of shipping. With the going out of the dory vessel and with the incoming of herring Total 221 seiners during the past two years, it is somehow felt that the fisheries are more than holding their own as far Some considerable thought has been devoted to determining as catch per ton of shipping is concerned. The offshore the direction in which the expansion of our offshore fleet, if it continues at its present rate of building fishing fleet is likely to go. The major offshore species with the trend expansion (i.e., a 20% annual increase in the number anticipated are as follows: of boats completed during the year allowing 10% each (Landings in '000 Pounds) for "new" and "replacement" boats), should reach 1964 1968 Change the following maximum inventory levels annually, up Groundfish 350,251 414,000 Increase of 18% in Nova Scotia: to 1968, Herring 98,545 500,000 Increase of 400% Whale Meat 1,600 5,350 Increase of 235% 1965 1966 1967 1968 Swordfish 11,856 10,000 Decrease of 16% Scallops 15,979 12,000 Decrease of 25% Projected "new" comple- tions for year: 29 32 35 39 Add base for previous year: Over the next 10 years, that is, by 1975, it is our (which includes "replace- general thinking that there will be no change from the ment") 96 125 147 182 1968 figures for swordfish, scallops and whale meat; Projected inventory: 125 157 182 221 but groundfish landings should be around 560 million pounds, up from the 1968 figure of 414 million pounds, with herring doubling that of 1968, reaching one billion This conservative and gradual type of expansion pounds. can readily be handled by the shipbuilding yards in this As you well realize, most of the information that province. Further expansion would require changes in I have just given is a projection, but I should add that our province's shipyard facilities. this projection has not been made without thought. It It is anticipated that by 1968 there will be a fleet was my intent to give this Conference some indication of about 221 boats for a total gross tonnage of 49,946 concerning the magnitude of the future development in (based on the present average of 226 tons per vessel). the offshore fishery. This in itself would give a sense The fleet inventory would be as follows: of purpose to this Conference.

Views of the New Brunswick Department of Fisheries on Canadian Atlantic Offshore Fishing Vessels

by Leonce Chenard Deputy Minister of Fisheries, New Brunswick

Within the past five years, technological develop- tion, rather than demanding that the lawmakers of the ments in the Atlantic coast fishing industry have been land impose additional restrictive measures. I am most by far more extensive than in any other basic industry happy to say that, generally speaking, the former at- of the whole area. We have seen the introduction of the titude prevailed and both government and industry, stern trawler, and its technical impact has made itself working together, are now ready to meet the challenge. felt amongst the individual fishermen and the fish proc- In New Brunswick, where the total export value of essing firms along the entire coast of eastern Canada; fish and fishery products exceeds $35 million annually, we have witnessed the construction and the successful representing 20% of the total exports of the province, operation of fully mechanized trawler-seiners, and we still have a comparatively small offshore fishing among many other outstanding developments, we take operation. pride in the fact that a large east coast firm has built and put into profitable operation the biggest and most However, we are closely following the new trend modern fish processing complex in North America. and we are proud to say that throughout the years we have contributed our share of efforts and money in co- This is progress at its peak and we in the govern- operation with the Industrial Development Service of ment are grateful to all those who have made these pro- the Department of Fisheries of Canada in this long- jects feasible, because it means that our joint and co- range development program. ordinated efforts with the industry have not been carried out in vain. From our own experience, there is no easy and clear cut solution to all the problems connected with This quiet revolution within Canada's second old- the introduction of prototype vessels or even with the est industry was brought about by many contributing introduction of certain types which have been fully factors despite the traditional and individualistic na- tested elsewhere in the world. Expert advice is always ture of the older generation of fishermen and the "com- very helpful, and is gratefully received, but this is not fortable pew" of a large segment of the industry and of always sufficient. However it is only after a great deal some conservative-minded civil servants. of "trial and error" that these vessels will be fully Gentlemen, I do not wish to start an enquiry into adapted to local geographic and socio-economic con- the matter, but you must admit that the sudden change ditions. in pace and attitude is both fascinating and encouraging. Not so many years ago, the industry was depressed For the above reasons world-wide standardization and was certainly not geared to meet the increasing in this field will be a very difficult but commendable on the fishing grounds, in world markets competition objective. If I am not mistaken, Mr. Chairman, the rec- and in manpower requirements. ognition of these fundamental problems has led our It soon became a matter of survival which could Federal-Provincial Atlantic Fisheries Committee to only be done effectively with positive thinking and ac- call this Conference. An opportunity will be given to 14 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE members of the trade and government officials to hold The individual owner of a dragger, trawler or semer discussions with world renowned experts in order to as much concerned about the productivity of a is not eliminate some of the element of risk and uncertainty unit as the fish processor would be. His main concern involved in future undertakings. is the net profit derived from a year-to-year operation. This point should be looked into very closely, because Another benefit arising from such a conference is we gather from reports published in Canada and other the exchange of up-to-date technical information on im- fishing nations that the productivity obtained with larg- provements made in design, construction and equipment er units does not necessarily increase in proportion to of fishing vessels in various parts of the world. the capital investment and, of course, the cost of operation. In other words, unless someone is prepared to Let me illustrate this point for a moment. In 1947, convince me otherwise, the cost per unit of production the New Brunswick Government introduced the small seems to increase more or less comparatively with the groundfish dragger into the fisheries of the Gulf of size of a vessel. We have therefore to be somewhat St. Lawrence. This was more than 50 years after the cautious when we use the term efficiency in any com- otter-trawl had been fully tested by European fishermen. parative study of various types and sizes of offshore fishing vessels. About 10 years later, we followed the example of our neighbour province of Nova Scotia in trying to con- The greatest single problem we had to cope with vince our inshore fishermen to adopt this method of when Mr. Jean Frechet and I investigated some stern fishing, using what is called a Danish seine. We were trawlers in Europe in the summer of 1961 was to find a still nearly one century behind the times. workable compromise between a small version representing a modest capital investment, and a large 150- Today, thanks largely to such world-wide organi- foot model capable of hauling the entire net on the deck zations as the Fisheries Division of the Food and Ag- in one single operation. Probably our Pacific Coast riculture Organization of the United Nations, which fishermen have the answer to this problem with the already has many international fisheries conferences to installation of a drum hauler near the stern of the ves- its credit, it is rather easy to keep abreast of the most sel. modern and recent technical developments in vessels In December 1964, a 92-foot combination trawler- and gear anywhere in the world. Every effort should be seiner of Wilson's Beach, N.B., was fitted with such a made to clear away the veils of secrecy which some- drum to haul the net over the stern. Such a device is times exist between nations and between provinces, specially suited to smaller stern trawlers or those with- and even between members of the industry. out ramps. Both the owner and the crew were enthusiastic about this new piece of equipment because it Due to the fact that in New Brunswick practically speeded up fishing operations, and the reeling of the all offshore fishing vessels are owned and operated by net, using a hydraulically operated drum, provided for individual fishermen, we do not contemplate the con- safer and more efficient handling, especially in rough struction of large units, that is in the 130-foot to 150- weather. Our Department has recently undertaken the foot class, until such time as our fish processing in- installation of similar devices on other small stern dustry is prepared to adopt the principle of vertical traw lers. integration. I am also pleased to note that on the last day of On the basis of the existing situation, our Depart- the conference some time will be devoted to combina- ment has recommended to the Fishermen's Loan Board tion fishing vessels. We are already financing the con- of New Brunswick that it limit the size of trawlers to struction of many such vessels in New Brunswick, be financed for fishermen to 100 feet, over-all length. both of steel and wood construction. May I say to my This limitation might seem rather drastic to some peo- friends from the west coast that the first such unit ple, but our decision is based on past performances of built at Vancouver created quite a favorable impres- various types and sizes of vessels and on the ability sion among our fishermen on the east coast. However, of operators to repay their loans and to administer prop- we feel that with some improvements it could be made erly a substantial investment. into as good a trawler as it is a semer. Offshore Operations, Prince Edward Island

by E.M. Gorman Deputy Minister of Fisheries, Prince Edward Island

A conference of this kind, involving discussions length over-all. This phase also involved not only the on the larger types of craft capable of conducting off- expansion of existing processing facilities but also shore fishing operations, is of intense interest to the the creation of new facilities for the processing of province of Prince Edward Island. Although the other both agricultural and sea products. fishing provinces of Canada, notably Newfoundland Before commenting further concerning the future and Nova Scotia, conducted offshore fishing operations it might be helpful to consider some of the plants and prior to Confederation, Prince Edward Island only manpower considerations. entered into an offshore industry about 1950. In the immediate postwar years the landings of the It has been said that the lobster fishery, with its Prince Edward Island inshore fleet fluctuated around high value, exerted a profound influence on the devel- 25 to 30 million pounds of product while the landed opment of the Prince Edward Island fishery. Not only value fluctuated around two to two and one-half mil- did this result in the pursuit of other activities com- lion dollars. It was exclusively a small boat fishery, patible with the lobster program, but it also exerted employing some 3,000 fishermen and helpers. The an influence on the outlook or philosophy of island development of the lobster industry exerted a profound fishermen and pointed the way to the type of processing influence on our fishery, accounting for usually 75% facilities which developed. of the landed value. Other fishing activities were more or less fitted into the program of exploiting this most Our processing plants were designed primarily for valuable lobster fishery. the canning of lobsters, and there were over'60 of these In 1950, a period of development was initiated in in operation at the close of the war. Our lobster boats order to increase our offshore potential, with the con- were designed primarily to operate long lines and struction at Caraquet in northern New Brunswick of lobster traps. These craft were light, fast, and com- a 59-foot wooden dragger. It was the first time that a paratively inexpensive. Fishing trips were of one day's vessel had been built for otter trawling in Prince duration rather than the 4- to 6- day trips which later Edward Island. were the usual for small draggers.

This phase of development went through two ad- As will be deduced, this type of operation was ditional design changes which in turn produced a total characterized by unco-ordinated facilities and effort. of 23 wooden draggers in the 60-65 foot class. Con- The lobster operation involving, as it does, approxi- sequently the development of two frozen fillet plants mately one-half million traps annually, is dispersed was made possible at Souris in the eastern part of the along the entire coast. Such a dispersion naturally island. does not lend itself to the efficient development of Then followed the development of steel side and processing facilities which involve groundfish filleting stern trawlers ranging in size from 92 to 128 feet in or freezing. These latter operations, to be efficient, 16 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE

must be characterized by a concentration of volume At any rate it is only now that we are feeling our way and effort in order to be viable. towards automated fishing methods at sea. It is hoped that from conferences such as this we may progress One of the principal problems, perhaps more acute step by step to successful innovations in this field. in Prince Edward Island than in other provinces, is If we are reasonably successful in this respect, I that of crewing large offshore vessels which make submit that noticeable benefits to the fishing economy trips of five, six or seven days' duration from a man- will be realized in the near future. Not only will we power pool of fishermen used to conducting operations reduce the numbers of men involved in this dangerous on a daily basis. and arduous work at sea, but we will also increase the In considering our future prospects we must keep earnings of those who will still have to "go down to this in mind. the sea in ships". In spite of the disadvantages which are a legacy I would further submit that an increase of earnings of our historical background, it is considered that the is an essential factor in the development of a Canadian future for the fishermen of this province is indeed fishing industry which will again, I believe, achieve a Although many factors must be considered and bright. role of eminence in the North Atlantic area. It must be new plans devised in the development of a more exten- admitted by all who are closely associated with the sive fishery economy, one of the principal factors will fishing industry that the earnings of the fisherman are be the development of more efficient fishing vessels. not commensurate with those of other competitive This is why provincial authorities come to this Con- professions or with the time and labour he gives. ference with earnest hopes that very important contri- Respect for any industry and eagerness to compete in butions in fishing vessel design will be made, which that industry are largely due to the rewards to be will accelerate the development of our fisheries. reached therefrom. Our difficulty in the recruitment of Without going into technical details I am sure we sufficient numbers of well trained enterprising types all share the hope that important contributions will be must be partly related to the unfavourable comparison, made to afford increased safety at sea, more efficient with other competitive professions, of the rewards and catching operations and improvement in the quality of dangers encountered when fishing. fish landed. Might I qualify the second point - namely the Let us hope that our deliberations will produce development of more efficient catching operations. It substantial improvements in the efficiency of fishing has been said that the industrial revolution has only vessels and their equipment, and ideas effecting in the last decade or two caught up with fishing oper- improvement in safety and working conditions of the ations, perhaps the oldest of man's economic activities. crews of these vessels. The Growth of Newfoundland's Offshore Fishing Fleet

by Eric M. Gosse Deputy Minister of Fisheries, Newfoundland 86 Labrador

In the long history of Newfoundland's fishery, was sailing from ports along the Southwest Coast from extending over more than four and a half centuries, the Burin West to Port-au-Basque. offshore fishing fleet has been of secondary importance until recent years. This has been due to the great At that time the total number of vessels involved summer inshore codfishery, based on the exploitation consisted of 38 schooners with a total capacity of of the huge schools of codfish which come close to 4,981 tons, gross tonnage, manned by 1,150 fishermen. every indentation of coastline from Southern New- By 1937 the banking fleet reached a peak of 231 vessels foundland to Northern Labrador. Operating from small of 11,149 tons, gross tonnage, manned by 2,329 fish- open boats close to the shore fishermen were able to ermen. From that year, their numbers declined and, by catch sufficient fish to provide a livelihood. The 1960, not a single banking schooner was prosecuting catch was then salted and dried by the fisherman and this traditional offshore fishery. his family. While the period from 1930 to 1950 saw the rise and decline of the Newfoundland banking fleet, an By the 1850's it was evident that there were too attempt was made in the early 1930's to establish an many fishermen on the inshore grounds, and vessels offshore trawler operation. Two side trawlers were in for more distant fishing operations were built. At that operation by 1937 but were not considered as econom- time the sealing and mercantile fleet of Newfoundland ical as the banking schooners prosecuting the off- was large enough to meet all transportation requirements shore salt cod operations. However, with the introduc- and, in addition, take an average of half a million seals tion of frozen fish plants during the 1940's trawlers every spring, but no attempt was made to direct any of became vitally important in meeting the need for a these ships to offshore groundfishing operations. a market's year-round demand for ground-fish fillets. These ships were certainly sturdy enough to operate on the Grand Banks but, probably because of shallow By 1949, the offshore trawler fleet numbered 13 draft and the square rigging on the foremast, they were but their total annual catch, of less than 70 million not sufficiently manoeuvrable when "close hauled". lb was small compared to the more than 500 million It was at this period that vessel owners adopted the lb landed by inshore fishermen. Freezing plants were "fore and aft" rigged banking schooner for offshore still mainly dependent on inshore supplies so that operations and the Labrador inshore fishery. many plant operators were forced to discontinue their processing operations during the greater part of the year. By 1912, the Newfoundland East Coast merchants were able to provide a fleet of approximately 1,400 This unsatisfactory situation continued until the ships of this design to prosecute the inshore Labrador early 1960's when improved marketing conditions fishery. Meanwhile, they curtailed their operations on warranted an acceleration in growth of the trawler the Grand Banks until by 1930 the whole banking fleet fleet, resulting in a fleet of 47 ships by 1965. With

18 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE

few exceptions, these consisted of side trawlers. The OFFSHORE GROUNDFISH LANDINGS BY 1975 following projection on the growth of the Newfoundland Assuming that the Newfoundland offshore trawler trawler fleet during the next ten years is considered fleet reaches a figure of 179 in 1975, it will be inter- to be conservative: esting to speculate on the eventual increase in ground- Projection fish landings. Actual deep sea landings in 1965 209 million lb and unless there is a 1965 — 1975 amounted to drastic reduction in the stocks of fish we can antici- Now operatifig in Newfoundland 47 pate an annual offshore catch by Newfoundland deep- Now under construction 2 sea fishing vessels of more than one billion pounds Planned for 1966 11 13 by 1975. Projected PELAGIC FISHERY 1965 — 1968 34 1968 — 1971 49 Experiments by federal and provincial fisheries 1971 — 1975 40 123 in conjunction with indust ry in 1964 indicated that large quantities of herring can be caught off the New- By Flag Transfer 6 foundland coast. At this moment four seiners, using Withdrawn from service 10 power blocks, are successfully operating off our 179 southwest coast. If catches reach anticipated quantities this year, we can expect a tremendous and accel- The great majority of the 179 ships expected to erated growth in this fishery. However, with so little be in operation by 1975 will consist of stem trawlers, data available, it is impossible to project the number each of approximately 400 tons, gross tonnage. While of boats which may be involved in seining herring they may cost more per unit than side trawlers, their during the next ten years, but it is anticipated that reported increased efficiency, it is believed, will the number will be very substantial. While those now offset the additional cost. in operation have proved to be successful catching units, nevertheless it can be expected that certain Indications are that the majority of owners have, improvements in design of such ships, including gear conclusions on the designs for by now, reached some and equipment, are necessary. these craft, but of course there will be progressive changes and modifications to these designs over the It is hoped, therefore, that this conference can next ten years. It may well be that major changes in point out any inefficiencies in Newfoundland's exist- design may be brought about if the various specialists ing offshore fishing craft, so that these can be avoid- at this conference can point to changes which will lead ed in future designs of seiners and deepsea trawlers to the design of still more efficient fishing units. or in combination fishing vessels.

DISCUSSION: Morning Session, February 7 Mr. Traung quoted from Dr. Chenard's paper: "There is no easy and clear-cut solution to all the problems connected with the introduction of prototype vessels or even with the introduction of certain types which have been fully tested elsewhere in the world".

He said he was in entire agreement with the statement, and went on to explain that there was considerable international discussion of the matter, some people feeling that it should be possible, with the many designs available, to standardize one or two. Dr. Chenard asked Mr. Traung if he felt that such standardization was possible, say in the 150 ft class. Discussion 19

Mr. 2'raung replied that he did not feel that this was possible or even desirable as ships operate under so many varying conditions of catch, environment, economics, etc.

Dr. Wise, of the Atlantic Development Board, noted that in the papers by the provincial Dep- uty Ministers of Quebec and New Brunswick they seemed to be advocating different optimum sizes for vessels; that there was a diversity of opinion as to the best size of vessel.

Mr. Lessard replied that this was not intended and that a small vessel, say up to 100 ft over- all length, could be optimum for working close grounds or in sheltered areas and that larger ships of above 100 ft. were probably best for distant and offshore fishing. Too, the industry, those operating the vessels, have different requirements as to vessels and vessel size.

Mr. Corney said that having heard from five Deputy Ministers dealing with expansion of fishing efforts he wondered why there had not been some time spent in discussing possible depletion of fish stocks. Projections indicated very substantial increases in the take. He noticed that Mr. Meagher had indicated that the production per unit was increasing. He would like to hear some of the speakers elaborate on this point.

Dr. Needler expressed the view that in all projections that had been made there was an element of doubt. The total Atlantic fishery for groundfish had been increasing and the effects are evident in the stocks in that there had been a slightly downward trend in the size of fish and in the abundance of the species fished most intensively. The total catch had been maintained partly by bringing more species into full use. It could be expected that with the increased fishing effort by countries fishing in the Atlantic, stocks would be further reduced, the size would tend to go down, the catch per unit of effort would go down and costs of catching fish would go up. These trends would not be quick - it must be remembered that the Canadian fishing effort is only part of the whole. Conservation of stocks continues to be under study by ICNAF, of which every important fishing nation in the Northwest Atlantic is a member. There is no danger of permanent depletion. In the Northwest Atlantic as a whole, the best scientific evidence, although there are differences of opinion, is that with most of these stocks we are approaching but have not passed the most productive level.

Dr. Needler further stated that Canada enjoyed an advantage in her proximity to the fishing grounds and that we would probably suffer least from a decrease in abundance of stock.

Afternoon Session, February 7, 1966

The Fishing Industry's Viewpoint on the Development of Canadian Atlantic Offshore Fishing Vessels

Moderator

Eric M. Gosse

Planning for Greater Food Production

by David F. Corney Acadia Fisheries Limited, Mulgrave, N.S.

ABSTRACT This paper deals with non-technical aspects of fishing vessel design and development.

It suggests that a planned program by government and indus try should be undertaken to determine the quantity and types of fish that are presently caught and discarded overboard as waste, in order that fishing craft can in future be developed and designed to handle these products and that ways be found to remunerate fishermen and fishing companies for harvesting and processing these products, so that they may utilize them to assist in lessening the world shortage of food. It is further noted that such a program could in time become self sustaining and in all probability would add to the economic stability of the industry.

The paper highlights the need for even greater co-ordination between government and the fishing industry in future development of the fisheries and goes further to suggest that industry be called upon to assume a partnership role in planning, implementing and administering future fisheries development programs. Emphasis is placed on the necessity for automating fishing craft to enable smaller crews to attain higher earnings as well as to improve handling methods and working conditions aboard ships.

Mention is made of the necessity for further exploration of the ocean's potential, with simultaneous development of new harvesting techniques to enable early exploitation of currently un- harvested varieties of fish and shellfish.

The need for technological emphasis on such matters as unloading vessels and placing fish flour and meal plants aboard future craft is also mentioned.

The paper concludes by emphasizing the responsibility of Canadians through government and industry to explore, exploit and utilize the products of the sea in the interest of all mankind. 24 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE

PLANNING FOR GREATER FOOD PRODUCTION Let me reassure you that ours is not the only I am fully aware that this is primarily a technical nation to follow this practice, but apart from the men who go conference which will be mainly concerned with the to sea on the trawlers, few people know about design and development of more efficient deepsea this tremendous waste. fishing vessels. When designing the ships of tomorrow we must think about fishermen, hungry I am also very conscious that I am the first rep- people, and food we now resentative from the fishing industry to express a waste. There is no point in brushing this under the viewpoint on the development of Canadian Atlantic carpet. These are facts, and facts which in the world offshore fishing vessels. This places somewhat of a of the future cannot be tolerated. responsibility upon my shoulders, but since I am to be followed by speakers admirably qualified to deal with Our industry must be geared to process every the subject of technical development of fishing craft, ounce of protein which comes aboard the fishing ves- I will avoid previewing the thoughts they might wish sel. It may not be commonly known but there are cer- to express by directing my comments to some non- tain regulations in the whaling industry which obligate technical aspects that should and must effect the de- the processors of whalers to utilize everything except sign and development of deepsea fishing vessels. the entrails and large bones — but at the same time the nations of the world allow millions of pounds of It is true that we must be concerned with fishing fish, a good protein food, to be thrown back into the vessels' design, with their efficiency and with their sea. Canada as a nation must take some positive ac- cost. We must also be concerned about the resource tion to ensure that all of this valuable resource is we are exploiting. processed for food so that in some form hungry people may be fed. There is, however, a matter of even greater concern to me and one which I believe is shared by many Where does such a development start? What bet- in the industry. ter place than in the design and equipping of our deepsea fishing vessels? The handling and processing about people. The people who We are concerned facilities aboard our fishing vessels, even on the best man these fishing vessels, men who man and will of them, are woefully inadequate. They are now badly leave their families and homes for a life on the high designed, with little or no thought being given to the seas — and who, while most people are grumbling elimination of primitive working conditions for the week or less, are actively working at about a 42-hour fishermen. This makes it impractical or impossible to sea on average above 100 hours per week. handle and process more than the desirable size and We are also concerned about people, in a world species of fish which are presently in active demand where food is desperately scarce — consumers who on traditional markets. have precious little to consume and who will have There is a great need right now for the fishing less if something is not soon done about it. I am sure industry and the Federal-Provincial Atlantic Fisheries each of us in this conference is aware that in India Committee to get together and examine this problem. alone, professional statisticians are predicting that We should have an unbiased and realistic assessment 10 million children will die from starvation in the of how much fish and what species are thrown back next 10 years. into the sea each year, so that a concerted attempt We are more than concerned when we see the could be made by both government and industry to practices which are followed on many of our deepsea eliminate this great waste of food. Such a program may fishing craft on which the fish is sorted and thousands well suggest the advisability of subsidizing the proof tons each year are discarded as unwanted species. duction of these products in the initial stages, but Most of these are good edible fish which are in con- there is no question in my mind that it will not be siderable demand in other countries of the world; but many years before these presently wasted products traditionally we in Canada have not processed and will be used in unsubsidized markets all over the marketed them and they continue to be thrown back world, and we shall be thankful that we are geared to into the sea to feed fish. produce them. David Corney 25

The harvest and use of these wasted products edge into one place where we can all share, assess, could strengthen the economy of the industry and per- contribute and expand our ideas together. mit higher earnings for fishermen. It is only a matter I believe the time has come when a concerted at- of 12 to 14 years since the industry introduced fish tempt must be made to further involve industry more reduction operations on a substantial scale. Up to that directly in governmental attempts to develop the fish- time millions of tons of fish offal was wasted. Today oil and meal are being produced for useful purposes. In ing industry, even to the point where industry plays a partnership role in the planning, implementation and fact, the value of the offal often constitutes the mar- administration of the various programs. I am one of gin of profit an operator makes. It is not inconceivable those who has confidence in the future of the Cana- that the return on fish which are now discarded at sea dian fishing industry in the Northwest Atlantic, but I might, in the near future, constitute a margin of profit can only believe in its future if industry and govern- to be enjoyed by fishing vessel owners on their operations. ment, working together, become more progressive and more dynamic in their thinking than is presently the case. I believe I speak for the fishing industry when I express my gratitude to the Federal-Provincial At- We are, I believe, taking the first steps toward lantic Fisheries Committee for sponsoring this con" the development of highly mechanized and automated ference, the objective of which is, I believe, to attain fishing vessels. If we are to be able to assure the sea- a greater measure of co-ordination in the activities men of earnings not only commensurate with their ef- surrounding the development and design of fishing fort, but sufficient to attract first class men into the vessels. At the present time costly and unco-ordinated industry, then we must eliminate all of the heavy and expenditures of effort and money by both government unattractive human labour which is now required on and industry are being spent in administration as well fishing vessels. At the same time we must reduce the as in scientific and technological research. We must number of crewmen aboard so that each may receive a face the fact that Canada is not by tradition a builder greater share of the returns. Life at sea must be made of deepsea steel fishing vessels. When government more attractive and remunerative in order to compete subsidies to shipyards were introduced some years for skills in our affluent society. ago there was a rush on the part of Canadian shipyards to build ships. Up to that time Canadian fishing Training facilities must be expanded, improved and publicized. companies had been buying secondhand vessels from other countries and the amount of technical know-how The capital investment in a deepsea trawler of at our disposal was of necessity very limited. The the future will be much greater than is presently the subsidy motivated a flood of technical experts to enter case. No longer will these vessels be able to waste the Canadian scene. Naval architects had numerous two or three days in port on each trip. Unloading time ideas as to what fishing vessels should be like, but must be speeded up to ensure quick turn around. New by and large the fishing industry itself was inartic- methods of unloading are presently on trial but I feel ulate concerning its particular requirements. we must look forward to fishing vessels which come alongside and have the complete hold and all its con- The position is now changing. We in industry are tents lifted from the ship and placed in the plant building a body of knowledge concerning deepsea where the fish can be fed to the processing lines. At fishing vessels, their efficiency, design and propul- the same time, a twin hold, completely washed and sion. The government has entered the scene and there sanitized, should be lowered into the ship so that it is now a special vessel development group within the can immediately return to sea with another crew. This Industrial Development Service of the Department of kind of development should no longer be in the dream Fisheries of Canada. This group is staffed by naval architects, marine engineers and vessel and electron- stage in these days of containerization. It should be encouraged, studied and developed. ics technologists. The body of knowledge we are building continues to be scattered and fragmented, Development work should be undertaken now to however, and it is conferences such as this that as- enable the installation of fish meal or fish flour sist in developing techniques for gathering this knowl- plants right on board the trawler, thereby permitting 26 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE the processing and compact storage of many species our government and as a Canadian industry will look and much waste while it is in a fresh and wholesome beyond the horizons of national and individual self state. interest and broaden our vision of international responsibility, so that in the fishing industry we can ap- There are widely varying views on the trends in ply our efforts, our ingenuity and our talents now to- catch per unit to effort of fish on our traditional and planned development and grounds. Some authorities maintain that the ratio of ward the co-ordinated exploitation of this vast reservoir in the interest of catch to tonnage of vessels is declining while others mankind. maintain it is increasing, depending upon the as- sumptions and statistical evidence used. (Mr. Corney, stating that he wished to clarify There is no evidence available to indicate what some points in his paper, said that an industrial en- the future may hold in this regard, but it seems ob- gineering work study had been carried out on his com- vious that the buildup of the world's fleets designed pany's vessel Acadia Albatross. With regard to his to exploit the waters off the Atlantic Coast is only comments about a 100-hour work week, he quoted the beginning, and the logical prediction would be for a industrial consultants who had made the study at downward trend in landings of groundfish until some sea, and who had reported, in part: "During periods balance is reached between market value and cost of of excellent fishing long hours are excessive. Some raw material. With the present program of subsidiza- days the deck hands work 20-21 hours with little rest tion by many nations, the cost of raw material might or relaxation. It was noted that the pace was good in have to get very high before this will have any effect spite of fatigue and little rest. Considerable physical on exploitation. damage, sprains, sores, etc., to the workers' hands Therefore, it would appear essential to improve and wrists were observed." The consultants recom- methods and techniques of locating and catching fish, mended that ripping and gutting operations should be combined at standing positions, which would reduce in addition to expanding the scope of groundfish exploitation, in order to utilize presently ignored spe- the fatiguing work load by 50-60%. There should be cies of groundfish, pelagic species and shellfish that no unnecessary handling of fish, which should be live in the ocean. We should move forward on this handled on a flow basis, with unwanted species cul- front as quickly as possible. led rapidly. The report said that there could be a reduction of 25-35% in the total process time. On the The ocean is a strange and wonderful enigma. We trip covered in the report, the vessel landed 370,000 shall not fully comprehend its potential as a source of lb of fish, which grossed $14,600. The crew's share protein for food in this century and most likely not was close to $5,100, which worked out at $1.80 per even in the next, but we do know that it is a chal- hour per man. This was considered a good trip. "One lenging reservoir which offers tangible hope in man's of our big problems is to improve this situation", search for food, and surely we as Canadians through said Mr. Corney.) 'Quebec United Fishermen' Enters High Seas Fisheries

by Guy Le Blanc General Secretary, Quebec United Fishermen

ABSTRACT Quebec United Fishermen, a concern whose main plants are located on the eastern end of the Gaspé Peninsula and whose fishery activities have heretofore been limited to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, decided during the summer of 1965 to build an offshore trawler for operation in the Atlantic.

The preparation of the plans involved three major phases. First, a choice had to he made between side and stern trawlers. The latter type prevailed because among other factors was that of the increased efficiency of the vessel, as well as improved living and working conditions for the screw. Secondly, the optimum size of the vessel had to be determined. The total length of of 150 feet was given preference to that of 135 feet because the hauling speed of the trawl was increased and the vessel was in a better position to face prevailing sea and temperature conditions in the North Atlantic. Lastly, due to considerations of seaworthiness, safety and working conditions for the men processing fish, a decision was made in favour of a double as opposed to a single deck vessel.

At the machinery and propulsion equipment level, a theory in favour of power surplus, as a means, of withstanding emergency conditions, was adopted. However, in the field of optional propulsion fittings, the controllable pitch propeller was retained.

Now under construction, the vessel will begin operations in the summer of 1966. This is essentially a stern trawler with a welded steel hull, a ramp, single propeller, and double deck. The upper deck includes the wheelhouse, the navigation bridge, and three cabins, viz., one for the captain, one for the first mate and one to be used as a recreation room for the crew. The deck will house the crew quarters forward, and the fish processing room aft. Under the main deck are the engine room forward, and the fish hold aft.

The vessel is 151'7" (revised) over all length, 13010" between perpendiculars, 33' beam, 1519° depth at the main deck, and 22'9" at the upper deck. Speed will be 12 knots. Hold capacity will be in the neighbourhood of 12,000 cubic feet or 400,000 lb of fish. The tanks will have a capacity of 80 tons of fuel and 40 tons of fresh water.

The main engine is vertical, four-stroke, reversible, supercharged, 1,530 h.p. at 500 r.p.m., diesel. The auxiliary unit includes two 144 h.p. at 1,200 r.p.m. diesels coupled to 80-kw, generators. A third diesel, of 380 h.p. at 1,200 r.p.m., drivers a 240-kw. generator connected to the 28 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE

main winch- This includes tivo central, 48-inch-wide and 13.5-inch-diameter drums with a winding capacity of 1,000 fathoms (cable of 3 inches circ.), plus two auxiliary drums 15.5 inches wide, with a 100-fathom capacity.

The hold is refrigerated at 33° F. by means of a cooling system equipped with a freon-12 compressor-condenser.

The owners hope the vessel, as designed, will have the power to reach the most remote fishing grounds of the Northwest Atlantic, to operate in the greatest depths where the common commercial species are located, and to cope with severe sea and temperature conditions.

Since the inception in 1952 of a modernization appeared. Thus, construction costs of vessels of all program for the fishing fleet, the efforts of the Quebec classes are soaring, and in some cases, these costs government and industry have aimed at the optimum have doubled in less than ten years. As for their pro- exploitation of the resources of the Gulf of St. Lawrence ductivity, it follows a declining pattern, and the aver- and at bringing the most productive means of catching age annual catches for 60-65-ft trawlers, for instance, within reach of professional fishermen. The object are decreasing from 700,000 lb in 1960 to slightly was to increase the average income of this working over 500,000 lb in 1965. The profit earning capacity class as a whole, During this period, types of vessels of the small trawler or dragger is hard hit by the such as longliners, trawlers, seiners and seiner- evolvement of these two factors, and gradually lesser trawlers, from 45 to 92 feet in length, were introduced. numbers of fishermen hope to own such vessels. With such a variety, the vessels had common features; At plant level and as investments increase, the onus they were designed to conform exclusively with condi- represented by overhead costs, which is accentuated tions in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and, allowing for by inevitable stoppages of operations during the winter government grants, to correspond with the fin ancial months, is felt more and more heavily. Producers also possibilities of the individual fisherman, deplore this seasonal pattern in landings where maximum production takes place during the winter months, What is now commonly called the mobile fishing with idling activities at both ends of the period. All fleet of Quebec is composed of 180 units manned by in all, the Quebec fishing industry must cope with some 700 men, whose catches since 1963 represent major handicaps, most of which are connected with more than half the total landings in ground species the geographic position of the territory and which for the province. The coastal fisheries are limited bear on its competitive position. more and more to the remunerative but small volume species, such as lobster, salmon, smelt and a few It was because of this outlook that producers others, Parallel with the development of the offshore began to turn their eyes towards the Atlantic to find fishery, industry has changed the network of its land a solution to their difficulties. As early as 1963 a establishments and its fish processing facilities. Nova Scotia scallop dragger, slightly less than 100 Plants of a local character have gradually been re- feet in length, was repaired, converted into a regular placed by high-capacity plants, equipped for the proc- trawler, and operated from the Magdalen Islands. essing of an extensive range of commercial products In 1964 two new 130-ft trawlers of the conventional and using raw material to a maximum through the manu- type began operations from a St< Lawrence North facture of by-products and related products. A con- shore fishing harbour. centrative tendency of like nature was felt at the level and the working of port development and harbour facilities. In fact, the use of larger vessels of northwest Atlantic grounds offer Quebec fishermen] The industrialization process has already shown the advantages of extending their period of operations beneficial effects among the populations of the mari- by as much as two months, of obtaining both increased time areas . Moreover, as it developed, conditions ap- and more regular supplies due to the decreased effect parently indicative of an end to this expansion have of sea and temperature conditions, and of benefiting Guy LeBlanc 29 from the landing of some new species, some of which generally growing use by the Canadian industry have a high commercial value. would help increase its market value. As judicious an assessment as possible of all the factors in With particular respect to Quebec United Fisher- question led the Federation to decide for the stern men, whose operations cover the three fishing areas trawler. At this stage no particular attention has as of the Province, but mainly the Gaspé Peninsula, yet been paid to vessel size. Obviously, this being its entry in the field of offshore fisheries has resulted a question of Atlantic fisheries, only a vessel of not in the acquisition of a steel-hull stern trawler; the less than 100 feet in length could be considered. construction contract for this trawler was signed Conversely, there was no question of considering early in September 1965, and the unit is scheduled the European type of 200 feet and over, and still less to begin operations in the summer of 1966. The fol- a factory ship. However, the margin between the two lowing comments aim more exactly at showing, in extremes appeared considerable. In a first draft the light of the particular conditions in which the the 135-ft length was considered. This was the vessel will have to operate, the design that has same order of dimensions as that of the conventional served as a guide in the working out of its essential trawlers in use and was appropriate to the corre- features; also the evolution of the owners' thinking sponding land facilities. Construction costs also during a period of more than a year when studies and remained comparable. Moreover, it was brought up research were carried on. that with the 135-ft length the net could not pos- The first decision that had to be made was a sibly be hauled up in one operation and that the choice between the conventional side-trawler and the time-saving feature permitted by the stern trawling stern type. Discussions already engaged in for a num- technique was perceptibly reduced. Here again it ber of years on this subject in Europe were rapidly was a direct question of operational territory. As spreading to Canada. It must be stated here that a matter of fact, the Federation's plants are grouped Quebec United Fishermen were enjoying a certain in the eastern end of the Gaspé Peninsula. The freedom of action due to the fact that, contrary to distances to be travelled to reach the southern the majority of the other enterprises, the Federa- banks, from Georges Bank to the Grand Bank, are tion had no large fishing unit yet and did not have increased by the entire Gulf trajectory, and this to take into account considerations such as stand- in both directions. On the other hand, the Strait ardization of equipment, casting aside or duplicating of Belle-Isle gives easier access to the northern of spare parts, adaptation of unloading facilities, and banks, those of the Labrador coast as well as those similar matters. of the north-eastern coast of Newfoundland, while putting the Gaspé plants in a privileged situation While leaving details out of consideration, may compared to those of Nova Scotia and the southern we recall that the conventional trawler had the ad- part of Newfoundland. It quickly became obvious vantage of having attained a high level of perfection to the owners that it would be an advantage for the which eliminated practically all uncertainties as to vessel to be able to profit at all times by the fish its efficiency and permitted it to begin fishing opera- concentrations that might be reported at one point or tions on leaving the yards, without any lengthy adjust- another on the coast, and that the idea of a territory ing and experimenting period. Its cost was relative]y should be broad enough to include the northwest low. Its extensive use on the Canadian Atlantic Atlantic bank as a whole. The prospect of longer coast for the past half-century facilitated local trips in areas where sea conditions are more severe recruiting and training of skilled crews, as well brought about the adoption of a larger vessel offering as drawing from a great reserve of experience. On better seaworthiness, greater and increased hold the other hand, the stern trawler made for greater capacity. Length was then brought up from 135 feet productivity by reason of its ability to stand sea to 150 feet. conditions, its manoeuvrability and simplification of net setting and hauling operations. There was The same considerations applied to the third a simultaneous improvement in working conditions, phase of the studies, viz.: the choice between a crew security and comfort. One could also believe single-deck and double-deck vessel. Preference here that, from a strictly economical standpoint, its was given to the double-deck vessel which, while 30 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE resulting in a higher free-board, increases security feet, or more than 400,000 lbs of gutted, iced fish. and reduces the danger of icing during winter months. Its tanks will hold 80 tons of fuel and 40 tons of A doubled-deck also permitted men in charge of fish fresh water. cleaning to work sheltered from bad weather. The vessel complies with the requirements of the As for machinery and equipment, the owners Canadian Vessel Inspection Service and with Lloyd's had to cope with a series of options, many of which Register of Shipping. It qualifies for Class 100 Al were and still are the subjects of animated discussions (fishing vessels) with the Maltese Cross. Its hull is among the experts. In connection with propulsion, a reinforced for navigation in ice fields. group favoured power corresponding to normal oper- The machinery includes as main engine, a 4-cycle, ating conditions, while another put forward the advantage reversible, supercharged diesel, capable of an output of having a substantial power reserve in order to be of 1,530 H.P. at 500 R.P.M. The auxiliary group is able to face any emergency. As accessory equipment comprised of two 144 H.P. at 1,200 R.P.M. marine for propulsion and direction, there were, each with diesels coupled with 80 kw. parallel generators the fixed pitch ptopeller, the variable its advocates, producing an alternating 200-volt. 60-cycle-3-phase the single conventional rudder with pitch propeller, current; plus a third, 380-H.P. at 1,200 R.P.M. diesel fixed nozzle or the directional nozzle, the regular driving a 240-kw generator with a direct-current out- speed reducer or the forward two-speed super-reducer, put of 220 volts. The latter generator actuates the one for towing, the other for free cruising, plus one main winch. The combined power of the propulsion reverse speed. Each of these systems could be com- machinery illustrates the principles upheld by the bined with one or more others, thus multiplying the school of thought favouring surplus power. The alternative solutions at the rate of a geometrical winch proper is made up of two central drums 48" progression. In the field of deck equipment there wide x 13.5" in diameter, with a winding capacity the power winch, the low and high-pressure was of 1,000 fathoms of 3-inch steel cable, plus two 15.5" - hydraulic winch, and the electric winch. There was wide auxiliary reels having a 1 00-fathom winding just as wide a choice in the way of electronic navi- capacity for a cable of the same diameter as above. and fish detection equipment and of layouts gational It also includes a remote control system locate'd on for the fish processing room. Each of these items was the navigation bridge, as well as an automatic cable chosen following many references to the knowledge guide. and experience of fishing skippers, heads of firms, and government or private specialists. Only the variable pitch propeller was retained in the group of directional and propulsive accessories. Now that this laborious research stage for an The propeller is of bronze and includes as special ideal vessel is over, the vessel as such is being features a device to reset the blades manually in the built, and its main features will likely be found of "forward" position in case of mechanical trouble, and interest. Essentially, this is a stern trawler with an automatic regulator ensuring that the pitch is limi- welded steel hull, ramp, single screw, and double ted in such a way as to keep the load on the engine deck. The wheel-house and the navigation bridge are below the maximum. towards the bow on the upper deck and include accommodation for the captain and the first mate, together May it finally be mentioned that in order to fa- with a recreation room for the crew. The lower bridge cilitate the keeping of fish on long trips or during very includes, forward, crew space and quarters capable hot periods, the fish holds are equipped with a cooling of accommodating 18 men; aft, the fish cleaning room. system including a Freon-12 compressor-condenser Under the main deck, forward, the engine room and, installed in the engine room and capable of maintaining aft, the fish hold, are located. a temperature of 33 T. when outside temperature is 85°F., and water temperature, 65 T. The vessel is 151' 7" overall length, 130' long between perpendiculars, 33' wide at the beam, 15' 9" In the present state of affairs, Quebec United deep at the main deck, and 22'9" deep at the upper Fishermen has no point of reference that would deck. Under trial conditions its speed will be 12 permit it to assess the accuracy of its decisions and knots. Hold capacity is approximately 12,000 cubic to determine to what extent the vessel will fulfil Guy LeBlanc 31 expectations. However, the directors are positive process of perfecting the plans for a large fishing that the design as it is will not be affected by any vessel by a team having its first experience with basic handicap. The vessel's size and hold capacity it implies a series of phases and stages just as enable it to travel for 20 days on its own. Hull lines frustrating one as the other. On the one hand, a and propulsion power will permit it to operate under fishing vessel that is to be functional and thor- winds with a 6-7 force, which would bring to a stop oughly adapted to a series of given conditions will conventional trawlers of the same dimensions. The use directly conflicting elements; the vessel soon vessel can reach the deepest grounds frequented by takes the aspect of a series of compromises. On the the current commercial species. Finally, the length other hand, experts to whom we must necessarily of its deck and the power of its main winch enable refer have this peculiar characteristic of not sharing it to haul easily, and in one operation, the heaviest the opinions of any of their colleagues, in spite catches the trawl can carry, including catches of of their ability and sincerity. But it is comforting pelagic species. to know that such a situation has existed ever since vessels were made and that excellent ones have been May it be pointed out in conclusion that this constructed .

Stern Trawler Trends and Developments Applicable to Eastern Canadian Fisheries

by John W. Barker Marine Superintendent, National Sea Products Limited, Halifax, N.S.

ABSTRACT

In the Canadian Atlantic deep sea fisheries, the transition from traditional side trawling to the stern trawling technique is gradual but unmistakable. At this early stage of development, design is anything but static, and a variety of basic types are represented in the growing stern trawler fleet.

It is too early to evaluate specific design features on the basis of fishing results. Similarly, but on a broader scale, the relative economic performances of stern trawlers and side trawlers cannot be accurately compared.

The change to stern trawling represents a revolution in fishing and fish handling practice, not merely a change in trawling technique. A production increase, estimated at 20 per cent, should be achieved through improved gear handling methods leading to a speeding up of unproductive action. Fresh fish processing can be systematized to lighten the work load and assure a superior quality product. A high standard of crew comfort and working convenience can be established through the use of modern equipment and original design.

A Canadian mid-water class stern ramp trawler is estimated to cost approximately 15% more than a modern side trawler of equal capacity and comparable standards, but this price differential may easily reach 40% through logical increases in displacement, propulsive power, winch capacity and advanced mechanization of fishing gear and product handling facilities.

The intense competition on the fishing banks, coupled with a shortage of trained crews, justifies the most efficient production methods and progress in terms of crew acceptance and labour saving equipment.

The Canadian East Coast deepsea fishing fleet is almost entirely composed of side fishing trawlers, which, if well designed and properly equipped, are comfortable, safe and productive fishing vessels.

This traditional form of trawler seems to have reached its ultimate point of development. In skilled hands it is still a very effective tool but it is not readily adaptable to further mechanization and, as a result, the stern trawler concept has captured the interest of commercial deepsea fishermen throughout the world. 34 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE

The stern fishing principle has become universally established during the past 15 years through the introduction of the large factory trawlers. In the smaller raid-water class, which is roughly the category which includes our larger Canadian fishing vessels, stern trawlers are a recent innovation and it is fair to say that their economic superiority over the less costly side trawlers has not yet been clearly demonstrated. A mid-water class stern ramp trawler should cost approxitnately 15% more than a comparable modern side trawler, length for length. Should the stern trawler be designed having greater displacement, increased propulsive power and highly mechanized fishing and product handling facilities, the price differential may reach as high as 40%. Justification for this increased capital cost is not immediately apparent, especially when it is considered that both side trawlers and stern trawlers normally tow the same size and type of nets and gear over the ocean bed. It is interesting to study stern trawler design, to isolate the points of superiority and assess their values in ternis of economic advantage and crew acceptance.

TYPES OF STERN TRAWLERS The majority of stern ramp trawlers are designed as full shelter deck ships with the deck level of the There are two fundamental types of stern trawlers. processing room only a foot or two above the ship's Virtually all those in excess of 150 feet in length load water line. This permits the dumping of offal are built to the stern ramp principle, in which the cod- and wash tank discharge through ordinary deck scup- end containing the entire catch is heaved aboard by pers which, however, must be safeguarded by non- means of an inclined slipway built into the stern of return valves and emergency closing controls. the ship. Smaller stern trawlers, to a lower limit of about 125 feet in length, may also incorporate a Some recent designs favour a single deck arrange- stern ramp, but at this point the design becomes im- ment which offers a reduction in tonnage and dis- practicable as the slipway length cannot be reduced placement, and better utilization of superfluous shel- proportionately, and the gear deck becomes rather ter deck space. In this case, the processing room is short for efficient handling of standard nets and gear. located in a 'tween deck flat, with built-in arrangements for pumping the offal directly over the side, An alternative type of stern trawler, equipped and this is probably the most satisfactory offal dis- with a fixed or hydraulically operated swinging stern posai method from the point of view of protection gantry, is designed with a transom stern, often with a against flooding. pronounced "tumble home". The cod-end containing the catch is hoisted vertically from the sea and The single decker will cost slightly less in initial cost and maintenance, have a swings in to land on the after deck. Since the strength will deeper fish hold, and, since towing of the net is limited under these conditions to a load points will be lower, superior stability when changing of about 4,000 lb, the side trawler fishing procedure course with a trawl in tow. of splitting or subdividing the catch and landing it in instalments must be adopted. This type of stern GEAR HANDLING trawler is at a considerable disadvantage in this respect, especially when fish are abundant. A trawler earns money only when the gear is on the bottom, and the most efficient trawlers spend the It is a fundamental advantage of the stern ramp least time in the unproductive operations of hauling, system that very large catches can be brought aboard dumping the catch and shooting away the gear. intact in reasonable weather. There are records of 150 foot stern ramp trawlers landing 15, 20 and even There is considerable variation in trawler equip- a record 35 tons of fish in one heave up the slipway. ment and gear handling methods, and the selection John W. Barker 35 of a really fast and effective system to minimize trawl doors have been secured. The first heave brings unprofitable operations is extremely worthwhile. the Danleno bobbins to their hauling limit, and simul- taneously lands the bosom and wing bobbins hard In December 1961, by kind invitation of the against their radius coaming. The second and final owners, I joined a modern 150-foot stern ramp trawl- haul brings the cod-end up the slipway to the empty- er for a 14-day fishing voyage to the Bear Island and ing position at the head of the ramp. Spitzbergen fishing banks. The gear handling principle in use was quite orthodox and my object was to It is anticipated that this additional mechaniza- observe stern trawlers' fishing technique, and to tion will permit a reduction in normal gear handling carry out a series of time checks and action analyses. time to 6 — 8 minutes, which in conjunction with a 50% faster rate of haul, represents a feasible produc- Allowances were made for the usual occasional tion increase of about 20% when compared with side mishaps and the influence of adverse weather, and trawler catching rates. it was determined that the average time required to land an 8,000 lb catch during the interval from "doors in" to "doors out" was 14.5 minutes by stopwatch. FRESH FISH PROCESSING Comparable time checks aboard a modern Canadian 140-foot side trawler in January 1963 averaged 17.6 Opportunities for mechanization are not restricted minutes. to the gear deck. The differential of three minutes in favour of the processing space below decks, permanently stern trawler was considered disappointing and insuf- In the installed gutting facilities, vortex washing tanks, ficient to justify the transition to stern trawling at offal disposal pumps and distribution conveyors that time. have systematized the tasks formerly carried out on the open deck in all weather. IMPROVED TECHNIQUES This has produced tangible results in improved product quality during the warm weather months, and More recent studies have now convinced us that crew comfort and satisfaction during the remainder further mechanization can be applied to gear deck of the year. It is perhaps inevitable, however, that operations with promising results. The object is to faint rumblings should be heard from stern trawler use one specific wire or messenger for each operation crewmen compelled to work in an unfamiliar factory- and to provide a separate power source for each haul- like atmosphere during the summer months when they ing wire. This will result in a less cluttered gear would understandably rather remain on deck. deck and a smooth time-saving operation. Fresh fish processing is only partly mechanized, Our selected gear handling equipment consists of: as the essential operations are still manually per- one four drum hydraulic trawl winch, having a formed. An imminent "break-through" in production mid-drum capacity of 9.5 tons at a hauling of a universally acceptable gutting and washing speed of 375 feet per minute; machine is a possibility, in which case automation one completely separate, two-drum hydraulic will have reached a point where a reduction in crew sweepline winch, capable of hauling seven strength may be considered with material benefit to tons at 80 feet per minute, and the sharesmen. two electrically operated launching capstans, each of one-ton capacity. SEA BEHA VIOUR The trawl winch is provided with single scored whipping drums, which are available to provide sup- The over-all catching ability of a trawler may be plementary power for auxiliary tackles when landing affected by her stability and seakeeping qualities. The extraordinary catches. ability to continue to fish in heavy weather and pro- An entire trawl of 150-foot length can be brought vide a relatively stable working platform is of first aboard in two practically continuous hauls after the importance. 36 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE

Factors influencing ship's motion are variable There are similar problems with regard to the and complex but may be minimized by careful design. propulsion of trawlers. The choice of fixed pitch The value of seakeeping tests conducted in a ship propeller characteristics again demands a degree model tank provided with wave generating equipment of compromise somewhere between optimum towing is inestimable when deciding upon topsides and and free running selections, preference being largely underwater form, weight distribution, and the design a matter of opinion and experience. of the bilge keels which may be wider and placed Some modern side trawlers, and most mid-water higher than is possible in the case of side trawlers. stern ramp trawlers, are equipped with controllable Stern ramp trawlers with their characteristic high pitch propellers which offer a practical solution as reserve buoyancy and low L/B ratio, should prove well as a convenient means of providing direct con- fundamentally superior to orthodox side trawlers as trol of the ship from the bridge. regards resistance to excessive rolling motion. The Since stern ramp trawlers are invariably larger addition of a fixed or activated propeller nozzle of tonnage and displacement than side fish- should provide further stability by contributing a in terms similar capacity, and are often design- dynamic damping effect to minimize the amplitude of ing trawlers of ed with a view to ranging farther and fishing deeper pitch in way of the ramp. and rougher bottoms, there is a tendency to increase propulsive power considerably. Installed power varies greatly and averages about 50% in excess of that of the same CANADIAN STERN TRAWLER POWER considered adequate for side trawlers class, but in some cases the power increase may be REQUIREMENTS in the neighbourhood of 100%. A trawler is ,a dual-purpose ship. During voyages As an indication of actual power requirements, to and from the Northwest Atlantic fishing grounds, model tank tests in Norway and Germany have estab- free running service speeds in excess of 11 knots lished that a typical 150-foot stern ramp trawler are desirable, as is the ability to maintain reason- developing 1,000 SHP and towing at 31/2 knots produces able speed in heavy weather. a thrust of 10.7 tons. This thrust is increased to 12.4 propeller nozzle rudder Conversely, towing characteristics are of primary tons (15.9% increase) when a towing speed remain importance during the period spent at the fishing is installed and power and grounds when the 150 foot trawler virtually becomes a unchanged. tug. The towing load is variable within the range six To develop a thrust of 12.4 tons when towing at to nine tons at an average speed of four knots relative 31/2 knots without propeller nozzle, requires an in- to the sea bed. Warp load variations result principally crease in power from 1,000 SHP to over 1,200 SHP. from changes in weather, currents, trawling depth and (20% increase). employment of alternative types of fishing gear to Under actual fishing conditions, thrust require- suit changing ocean bed conditions. ments vary widely. The U.K. White Fish Authority — To obtain the "best of two worlds" is hardly Torry Research Station (Research Bulletin No. 6), possible, and a compromise has to be reached both describes the results of warp load tests under various in hull design and in propulsion characteristics. weather and fishing conditions, conducted aboard the lla (240 ft./1,800 SHP). Differences of opinion exist with regard to the large factory trawler June It was established that towing loads with a vessel most desirable degree of compromise in trawler hull lla are in the range of six design, ranging between a full hull form to provide the size and power of June under properly conducted fishing condi- maximum seakeeping qualities on the one hand, and a to ten tons finer form approaching block coefficient 0.5, which tions. emphasizes speed in the free running condition, on It would appear from available data that installed the other. Such decisions are, of course, influenced propulsive power substantially in excess of 1,000 by steaming distances to and from the banks and the SHP cannot be justified in a 150-foot stern ramp ratio of fishing to free running time. trawler equipped with a propeller nozzle, unless John W. Barker 37 relatively high free running speeds are considered - Radar essential in conjunction with a hull of comparatively - Loran fine form. - Decca Navigator Receiver - Decca Navigator Automatic Plotter

REMOTE CONTROLS AND INSTRUMENTATION Provision may be arranged for installation of specialized Echo Sounding equipment (NETSONDE), The ever increasing use of electronic navigation consisting of a trawl headline transducer connected and fishing aids presents a grouping problem, with a with a bridge recorder through a coaxial cable and tendency to consolidate all instruments and controls associated power winch. Future possibilities of mid- in a single console. water and off-bottom trawling may require a means of accurately determining headline height and correct In a highly specialized ship such as this, where the principles of remote control are fully utilized, trawl gear adjustment. this concentration of related functions is entirely logical. The fishing captain seated at the console PRODUCT STOWAGE may have immediate access to various controls, communications and miscellaneous instruments and In a stern trawler arranged with engine room indicators on the following scale: forward and the fish processing facilities aft, product Controls - C.P. Propeller (Governing ship's speed flow is direct and uncomplicated. The fishroom may be ahead and astern) located directly amidships, resulting in a more cubi- - Nozzle Rudder (Governing directional cally regular stowage space and excellent longitudi- steerin g) nal trim and stability. - Trawl Winch (Governing speed, direc- Fishroom insulation is important. There is a tion, clutches and brakes) tendency to rely upon more efficient insulation to preserve the crushed ice in preference to the use of - Sweepline Winch (Governing speed and roof grid refrigeration, which is of limited effective- direction) ness with shelf stowed fish. Foamed-in-place poly- Indicators - Propeller Shaft Tachometer urethane having superior insulating value has proved - Rudder Angle Indicator most successful, especially when sheathed with - Indicating Marine Log aluminum alloy or stainless steel sheet. All fishroom Magnetic or Gyro Compass (with auto- stanchions, shelf boards and division bulkheads are matic pilot) of rolled or extruded aluminum alloy. Warp Tension Meters (Graduated to In some trawlers a proportion of the fishroom 1/10th ton) pens are closely shelved, (10- to 12-inch spacing), Warp Length Meters (Graduated in and the first fish caught are carefully iced and stowed Fathoms) under minimum pressure. Stowage in boxes as prac- Various Gauges, Visual and Audible tised in some European countries has been considered Alarms, etc. and tried on an experimental basis but appears to Communications - Radio Telephone present some practical disadvantages in our fisheries - H.F. Single Side Band Transceiver where shipboard culling and sorting of grades and - P.A. Talk-back System to all work- varieties is widely practised. ing stations - Direct Telephone System to cabins of key personnel PRODUCT HANDLING Fishfinding and Navigation Aids - Echo Sounders (2 in Number) - Mechanical conveyors and elevators are used White Line recording for fish extensively aboard stern trawlers, and must be con- location. structed of non-ferrous materials throughout. They 38 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE should also be of clean and regular design to avoid CONCLUSION bacteria build-up. The distribution of processed fish to the fishroom and thence to the various segregated There is little doubt that the transition to stern pen sections within the fishroom, may be arranged by trawling is a progressive move which will lead to the use of deckhead mounted belt conveyors with further technological advances in all branches of suitably located plough gates. basic fish production. Unloading the catch has always presented a challenge and until recently, the time-honoured tub The stern trawler presents a wide field for study, and single whip tackle have been universally employ- and the continuous evolution in fishing methods which ed for this purpose. Stern trawlers now building will has culminated in the modern side fishing trawler, be equipped with permanently installed unloading will carry over and continue. systems, comprising recessed horizontal conveyors in the fishroom and hydraulically retractable bucket The harvesting of our traditional fishing banks elevators serving shore based unloading facilities. becomes increasingly intricate and demands the use At least four separate firms, in Holland, East of efficient and sophisticated tools of production. Germany and the United States, are producing pneu- Stern trawlers of the size and type discussed should matically actuated fish unloading machinery. While prove entirely satisfactory for the far ranging, all- perfectly satisfactory for small fish, this promising weather type of fishing in which our East Coast system has yet to prove itself for the safe handling industry must participate, and, in addition, are more of groundfish of wide variety and grade. adaptable to the future trends of the fishing industry. MD Q.> Javeg •Ai utio f ------^__^----^=_=^--'----^ ------

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DISCUSSION: First Afternoon Session, February 7

Captain Rodgerson said that one of the greatest aids to fishing from a fisherman's point of view had beei: the subsidy for vessels of 100 tons and up. With the subsidy, companies would spend more money on safety features. He thought that Canadians should constantly look for innovations instead of continuing with antiquated methods. He had been told by Scottish fishermen that a 75 ft. seiner was as productive as a 120 ft. trawler, and that in their opinion this type of fishing could be carried out off the Canadian coast even though hard bottom and tides could be a problem. Another possible innovation, said Captain Rodgerson, was the rotation of crews so that one man out of 11 could remain on shore each trip alternately, with pay. An incentive must be given for men to go to sea by providing comfortable living and working conditions, and adequate wages. Modern fishing vessels would require men of good education, he said, but on the other hand the fishermen themselves must not shirk their responsibilities.

Mr. Robert F. Allen to Mr. D. Corney: "What modifications will you make to your stern trawler design as a result of the recent study mentioned in your presentation?"

Mr. Corney said there would be three objects in future modifications: 1) to reduce labour after the fish is landed; 2) to improve the quality, which is a different problem with the stern trawler than with the side trawler, and 3) to speed up the process, especially on the work deck.

Mr. Simmons to Mr. Corney: "With developments in fishing vessel design and progress in the use of electronics and other equipment, there is some doubt that new vessels can be run economically in the years to come. What are your thoughts on a central fish forecasting system for rapid dissemination of up-to-date fishing results and oceanographic data, known concentrations of fish, weather conditions, etc., to co-operative fleets?"

Mr. Corney replied that there had been a deplorable lack of co-operation in sharing information on factors affecting the fish catch. In future, there would be a definite need for computers and other devices to keep abreast of world competition, he said. "This is being done by the Russians now. They have their highly developed and co-ordinated plan for locating and finding fish and it is absolutely amazing how our fellows will come across the fish by accident and the Russians will be there by design."

Mr. Arne Gronningsaeter to Mr. Corney: "Is anything being done in Canada about working conditions for Canadian fishermen such as have been described, including the 21-hour working day? Nothing much is being done in any country I have been able to study in Europe. Is anything being done from a public health point of view? One way of helping fishermen is by stabilization of fishing platforms to reduce injurious movements." (Mr. Gronningsaeter produced a paper on this subject, which is included in this publication. He also mentioned that two days earlier, the first contract for stabilized stern trawlers of the same size as those under discussion at the Conference had been signed in Norway.)

Mr. Corney said that steps were being taken to improve conditions by the company he was connected with. He referred the question to his firm's naval consultant, Mr. T. Calkin. He added that he knew nothing that the Public Health authorities were doing in connection with the problem raised by Mr. Gronningsaeter.

Mr. Calkin said that Mr. Corney's firm was co-operating with a number of other companies in trying to find out exactly what the workload of a fisherman is, what his working conditions are, Discussion 49

how many hours he has to work, and so on. He said: "Through our studies with several companies in the fleet we have been able to make an analysis that proves quite conclusively that the fatiguing motion patterns can be reduced by 50% to 60% and that the duration of the normal work job can be reduced by about 30%". He explained that this reduction of time spent processing fish on the work deck could be accomplished largely by eliminating much of the bending over that a fisherman has to do. Much work remained to be done in this field, he said.

Captain Rodgerson, asked to comment on this point, said that a gutting machine would be of great help in reducing injurious labour aboard ship. "The hardest part about fisheries, I would say, is stooping over and picking up a fish, and running a knife down it, and picking it up again and putting it into a box and so forth and so on." Other fishermen, speaking from the Conference floor, commented on the hardship in a fisherman's life. One mentioned the spirit that could be developed among a crew and the excitement the men found in their work. Another, who had once been told that "fishing got into the blood", and that fishermen enjoyed their work, said that on the whole he did not think this was so; the reason fishermen went to sea was mainly socio-economic; on the whole they did not enjoy fishing. Dr. Yves Jean, commenting on Mr. Corney's paper, said he agreed wholeheartedly that eventually Canadians would have to land more and more of the species of fish which they now discard. He said: "A few months ago I wrote a paper with Mr. McCracken on why Canadians should eat monkfish. Now those of you who know monkfish know that it is a fish that Canadians won't even look at. A few weeks ago I was in France and there on the menu was monkfish. Having written about the thing I decided I had better taste it, and believe you me it is a most excellent fish. I will eat it any time I can get it." Dr. Jean next directed a question to Mr. LeBlanc. He said that in Quebec, at the present time, there were no crews to fish on boats of the length and type described. He asked what steps Quebec United Fishermen must take to obtain crews which would be able to fish on 150 ft. stern trawlers. Mr. LeBlanc said that this important aspect of the project would involve the creation of a new class of professional fishermen, composed of three groups. These he described as: 1. Regular crewmen. These might be found from among the 2,000-3,000 professional fishermen of the region and among others having good experience aboard merchant vessels, especially in the Great Lakes. "By July, when the first of our new vessels will be in operation", said Mr. LeBlanc, "we will have a group of 18-20 fishermen having experience aboard a stern trawler, since we have a three-month training scheme in operation in collaboration with an Atlantic fishing company." 2. Machinery personnel. It is felt that there will be no difficulty in obtaining competent, qualified mechanics and engineers from ferry boats or other types of vessels in the region since the type of work, except for the trip duration of 12-15 days, is not much different aboard a fishing vessel for these positions.

3. Officers. "We will recruit the captain, first mate and boatswain from outside the region as long as we do not have trained competent people here, since we do not want to endanger the ship's efficiency. We will have a continuous training program aboard our new vessels since we are incorporating an extra two-man cabin for this purpose."

Mr. Barker was asked to comment further on a statement that it was too soon to comment on the choice between stern trawlers and side trawlers. 50 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE

Mr. Barker: "I don't think there has been time to know. Out of Nova Scotia, as far as I know, we have only four stern ramp trawlers. One of them has been in operation nearly a year, the others less than that. There are other stern trawlers which have been in operation for perhaps up to three years. Now these stern trawlers are not stern ramp trawlers, they are transom stern trawlers in which the catch is split and transferred the usual way and I don'tthink it has been demonstrated that the'se ships are more efficient than the best side trawlers. In general, I would say that we haven't had time to decide whether the stern ramp trawlers are more efficient. I believe they are, but we're being cautious." Mr. G.E. Kristinsson on Mr. Barker's paper: "First I wish to congratulate the author on this very excellent paper. The author states that a Canadian midwater class stern ramp trawler is estimated to cost approximately 15% more than a modern side trawler of equal capacity, and of comparable standards. This I quite agree with. Further the author says that the price differences may reach 40% through logical increases in displacement, propulsive power, winch capacities, and advanced mechanization of fishing gear. I believe that such is not a realistic comparison as such sophisticated equipment and increased power could also be incorporated in the side trawler. "The author compares stern trawlers to side trawlers, by timing the interval from 'doors in' to 'doors out' (14.5 minutes for stern trawler against 17.6 minutes for side trawler). I feel that this is not very useful criteria for deciding whether to build a side trawler or a stern trawler, I think the over-all effective fishing time and the capability of the vessel to fish in rough weather conditions are the most important factors. "Another very important factor is the fishing gear arrangement which I believe can be much more conveniently done on a stern trawler than it can be done on a side trawler; also the possibility on stern trawlers of having a complete spare net ready for shooting in case of damage to the net in use. That is where the real time saving and efficiency of the fishing unit come in; as you all well know sometimes it takes anything from four to 10 hours or even more to mend nets, and doing this in the open air on a side trawler is not the most comfortable job, especially in cold weather. "The author makes a statement that stowage in boxes as practised in some European countries has been considered and tried on an experimental basis, but appears to present some practical disadvantages in our fisheries. I just want to point out that one fish plant in Eastern Canada has adopted the fish box system and the reports from that plant are very favorable. I think that the box system is worth close consideration and study, and I agree that it is easier to adapt to a new plant than to an existing plant, where boxes have not been used before. It is also not practical for operators to equip half the trawlers for stowing fish on shelves and the other half in boxes. It should be a uniform operation." Mr. Barker said that costs for a stern trawler could rise higher than those for a side trawler since it was basically a better ship. The winch was twice as expensive and better fish processing and unloading machinery could be installed on a side trawler, he said. As an example of cost comparison, a 155 ft. stern trawler had been quoted at 50% more than a 141 ft, side trawler . With reference to the use of boxes, Mr. Barker stated that the main disadvantage of this system in Canada was that here fish must be culled aboard for the processing plants and this culling could not be done with box stowage. Second Afternoon Session, February 7 The Fishing Industry's Viewpoint on the Development of Canadian Atlantic Offshore Fishing Vessels

by Paul P. Russell Bonavista Cold Storage Co., Ltd., St. John's, Nfld.

ABSTRACT

Various designs of trawlers, both side and stern, are found on the East Coast of Canada. The background for this situation is basically as follows.

Industry is composed of small firms, located in small centres of population, and scattered along the coast. Generally an owner makes only a cursory examination of the performance of the trawlers. Further it appears that architects and consultants lack intimate knowledge of trawler operation, and some have no desire to produce an outstanding design. Some shipyards appear to take an indifferent view toward ship construction.

Nevertheless, within the last few decades, many changes have occurred in construction methods, in equipment, and in design. Some of these changes are: riveted to welded construction; use of new materials as aluminum; stainless steel and formica veneer sheathing; use of new equipment as oil separators; Decca and the self-inflated life raft; the trend toward higher horsepower engines and larger vessels; the use of new designs of nets and the trend to stern design.

The stern design, as with most new developments, has given rise to some misconceptions. One is that a minimum length of 150' is required to provide sufficient length of deck to haul the net completely on board; sufficient ship's length for the vessel to respond safely to wave action and to promote an even pull on the net. The second misunderstanding is that a stern design costs more than a side design of the same length. The writer discusses actual cases which demonstrate that stern trawlers smaller than 150' can be justified on practical and economic grounds.

Factors that should be considered when deciding on a design include: location of plant; fishing grounds and sea conditions; species of fish and type of nets; features to promote quality; availability of crews and automation; safety, comfort and working conditions of crews; port facilities for repairs; Government and Classification Regulations; and provision for future changes and finances.

Some of these factors will receive more consideration than others; the most important one will likely be finances for purchase of the vessel. 52 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE

The following recommendations are suggested to aid the trawling industry:

1) Shipowners should make fishing trips in their vessels to better understand the operation. 2) Naval architects and shipyard representatives should go to sea to better enable them to produce suitable designs. 3) Architect, shipyard and equipment suppliers should combine to produce a more satisfactory ship. 4) Operators should study the economics of the trawler. 5) Shipowners should show a more co-operative attitude in exchanging information and in working on joint projects dealing with trawler design and choice of equipment. 6) A Trawler Advisory Committee, composed of industry and government representatives, and other interested persons should be formed. 7) Federal and provincial governments should set up facilities to compile, correlate and publish information of interest to the trawling industry. 8) Government and Classification Societies should adopt a more sympathetic and realistic approach to the construction and operation of ships.

INTRODUCTION The fact that many of the earlier vessels performed well in practice does not mean that they represent- This paper reflects one owner's viewpoint. Quite ed the best in design to suit east coast conditions. It obviously there are almost as many different views as is probably still true today, that only a cursory exam- there are owners. This is easily seen when one con- ination of all aspects of a trawler's operation is made siders the various designs of trawlers built, or acquir- to determine to what degree over-all performance may ed, in the last few years, and those being planned. be improved. Moreover, most owners and operators Wooden trawlers, steel side trawlers and steel stern possess limited knowledge of their vessels. All too trawlers of various designs for handling either iced often this may show up in various publications in or frozen fish, all exist on the East Coast of Canada. which inaccurate ships' data are listed. What then, is the background for this situation, and what comments may be of assistance to a prospective A major factor in the performance of a ship is, trawler owner? of course, the crew. A good crew on an obviously limited vessel may well outfish a poorer crew on a better ship. Indeed, when a 106' over-all length side trawler can outfish a 130' side trawler, when operating PRESENT SITUATION under the same conditions, then it must be due to the The fishing industry is comprised of small firms, difference in crews. Otherwise the bigger and heavier with one exception. They operate mostly at scattered vessel would land more fish. locations along the coast in small centres of popu- The production from a good ship with a good lation. The majority of these firms operate six to eight deck crew, but with poor engineers, will definitely vessels, and are limited in financial resources and suffer. The majority of captains, mates and engi- experienced personnel. Originally, most of these neers do not possess certificates resulting from formal firms purchased trawlers off the shelf, as it were, study and written examinations. later modifying the designs when building new vessels. Further, common ownership of trawlers and processing Where do the naval architects and consulting plants usually exists on the east coast. The operators firms fit into this situation which I have outlined? It must divide their attention between trawlers and fish- seems to me they lack intimate knowledge of trawler ing operations on the one hand, against plant and operation, and of the fishing industry in general. It is marketing on the other. likely their contribution has been limited because of Paul Russell 53

a lack of design work and building projects in Canada Within the past decade stern ramp design has prior to the availability of the federal subsidy. It also been widely adopted. Improvements in general trawler appears to me that some architects and consultants design mentioned above have been incorporated in do not possess the desire to produce a design that is these new vessels. As with most new developments, outstanding from engine room to deck, bridge and some misconceptions have arisen. There is a view accommodations, and fishhold to discharging. There attributed to some architects, shipowners, and others, have been very few results to date in the development that a stern trawler less than 150' over-all length or of a suitable discharge system for the east coast thereabouts will not perform with full efficiency. This vessels. I often wonder if this inadequacy on the part is a valid view up to a point, in that there must be of the designers is due to a feeling that their expe- sufficient length of deck to haul the net completely rience in other design work is sufficient, or to poor on board. Also the hull must have a minimum length communication with the trawler owner and his crew. to respond safely to wave action and a minimum weight If the former is the reason then I would find the situa- to promote an even pull on the net. What was not fully tion unacceptable, and suggest that designers take a explained was that a small stern trawler, while ob- more critical attitude to present designs. It may be viously not as efficient in handling its gear as the that naval architects, like doctors, must specialize bigger trawler, might still perform more efficiently more and spend more time with shipowners and crews than a larger side trawler. It could, therefore, be a at sea and in ports, assessing local conditions. more desirable choice economically, especially if finances were limited. Shipbuilding is not a science; indeed, it seems it is not a good art in some cases. I have the impres- There is also some misunderstanding on cons- sion that yards sometimes appear to take an indifferent truction costs. For the same length it appears that view of ship construction. For example, it is true that the stern design costs more than the side design, but efforts are made to select the latest in interior accom- these vessels are not equal. The stern design has modation sheathing, on consideration of first cost and usually more tonnage and a larger fishhold cubic, maintenance, but in critical areas such as location thus a greater potential payload; it is able to fish in of slushwell strainers and provision of room for equip- more severe weather conditions and to follow the ment and piping, it often appears that insufficient varying contours of the sea bottom due to its greater thought is given to daily operation and future repairs maneuverability. The crew can handle the gear and and maintenance. These shortcomings may occur catch in much less time. The stern design provides the where the architect leaves such work to the discretion crew with greater safety, better living quarters and of the shipyard to carry out according to good ship- easier working conditions. Thus the result is that the building practice. owner pays more, but has a better tool. He may also be inclined to spend more on mechanization and equip- on a conventional There have been many changes in side trawlers ment with this design than he would through the years, in construction, fittings and equip- side trawler. ment. Most of these changes reflect technological progress in materials and procedures. Examples are the In our case, in 1961 we decided to build a stern change from riveted to welded construction, use of ramp trawler of 115' length over-all. In general her materials such as aluminum for wheelhouses and fish- cargo capacity and cost were comparable to those of holds, stainless steel for sinks and tables, formica a 125' side trawler, yet it appears she will have no veneer interior sheathing, better paints and protective difficulty in fishing as well as a 130' -135' side trawl- coatings; the development of new equipment such as er. Our choice of length was limited by the yard oil separators, fishfinders, Decca, the self-inflated chosen to construct the vessel. Naturally we regarded liferaft and the refrigerated provision store; the gen- this vessel as somewhat of an experimental one, and eral trend toward higher horsepower engines, to bigger we did experience various troubles; indeed, we still vessels and the change to alternating current; the use do. However, the fishing results over the past two of nets of new design and new synthetic materials for years have convinced us that stern trawling is super- twine. ior to side trawling in almost all aspects. 54 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE

By 1964, a majority of the firms operating several design must be given to using more efficient gear, or side trawlers had decided to adopt stern design. Those to fishing new grounds. The designer will have to firms which have acquired, or taken steps to acquire provide the necessary horsepower of the propulsion stern design vessels have, however, chosen many unit and endurance to meet these demands. Provision different designs. This development has taken place should be made in the design for future increase in without any efforts to provide a standard design, most speed resulting from the expected increase in the suitable for east coast conditions. With the many prices paid for fish. different designs we should have a wealth of data available. Can it be obtained and published? The usual weather and sea conditions will not change, unless new fishing areas are involved. If fish- DESIGN FACTORS ing is to be carried out in areas in which ice may be encountered, consideration may be given to strength- What are the main factors that should be con- ening the hull. sidered when deciding on a vessel design? The following should be considered: The species of fish presently exploited and the method of handling may also remain the same, but in 1) Location of plant, including harbour and approaches; the future no doubt other new species will be added. 2) Location of fishing grounds, the main area, and Nearly all trawlers ice their fish, one firm only having areas that may be fished alternatively; made provision to freeze at sea. It would appear that 3) Sea and weather conditions; in the next 10 to 15 years, freezing at sea may well 4) Species and method of preservation; become necessary for part or all of the catch. 5) Types of nets and materials; The types of gear required to obtain the usual 6) Physical features to promote quality of catch; groundfish species will remain much the same as at 7) Availability and skill of crews, and automation; present, except that the bigger, more powerful vessels 8) Safety, comfort, and working conditions of the will likely use larger nets. Whereas in the past only crew; the 41 and Icelandic nets, made of manila, sisal, etc. 9) Port facilities for repairs and maintenance; were used, today there are other designs of nets and 10) Govèrnment and Classification Regulations; types of twine. The whole problem of selection of the 11) Provision for future changes; twine is complicated by the many different types and 12) Finances - (a) Capital Costs, (b) Operating grades of synthetic materials obtainable from many Costs. countries today. attention than Some of these points receive more The need for higher standards of quality in han- others, depending upon the owners' views. For many dling and storage of the catch is being recognized. owners the main condition may be to build a ship with Most fishholds have a much higher standard of cons- a limit on first cost, with other factors receiving truction than formerly, and use of materials such as little consideration. It is often assumed that the new aluminum and fibreglass mat and epoxy for linings is vessel will carry on the same as the present vessels, the usual practice. Aluminum penboards are now spec- land at the same port, fish the same ground for the ified in new vessels, and almost all vessels are same species, etc. This may not be entirely correct. using greater quantities of ice. The location of the plant and port is not likely I need only mention the subject of crews, as this to change except as a result of company policy. A topic is no doubt familiar to the east coast industry. larger, more expensive vessel may well require deeper As newer vessels increase in size, equipment, and water both in the harbour and approaches. Maneuvera- value, it is now more important to have better trained bility in a small port may suggest the use of control- crews if the vessels are to be fully productive. Efforts lable pitch propellers. by governments and industry should be continued to In general the location of the fishing area does raise the technical standards of our crews. Industry not change. If the new design is for a more expensive for its part must recognize that crews must receive and larger vessel, capable of doing more work than adequate remuneration, and consider offering the usual vessels in the present fleet, consideration in the fringe benefits now available to shore workers. This Paul Russell 55 topic also raises the question of automation. Where is more flexible than the side, and midwater trawling crew reduction can be made and with the same lay, and seining, in addition to ground fishing, could be the individual crew member has, with same catch and considered. prices, a greater take-home pay. As time progresses Owners must decide the maximum amount, in con- automation will no doubt receive more and more atten- sideration of their own circumstances, that they can tion. pay for a new vessel. They should also consider Safety, comfort, and working conditions have relative legislation on taxation, and accelerated de- received more consideration in recent times than preciation. Whereas a higher cost vessel may not be formerly. Yet, I would expect that today different justified on usual economic grounds, it may be accept- trawlers in any one fleet may not be similarly equip- ed if a company is in a position to make use of such ped, or may not receive the same attention. New ves- legislation. Usually most owners have a definite sels do provide some increased comforts and are amount that they are prepared to pay. They then en- usually preferred by the crew. Reduction in the number deavour to provide as much equipment and gear, in the of crew per cabin is now being effected on most stern size of ship desired, as this amount will permit. The trawlers, as this design is more adaptable in this present gross construction costs for the newer and respect than side trawlers. However, it appears that larger stern trawlers are in the vicinity of one little consideration has been given to reducing actual million dollars. Few owners will allot monies toward labour in handling the gear and catch. More must be such nebulous, to them, benefits as extra research on done to provide improved living facilities and working the most efficient design of ship, the most suitable conditions. choice of winches and engines and benefits of automation. Such major operating costs as refits and ma- It is difficult to effect repairs and maintenance chinery maintenance and repairs require constant in small centres of population where limited facilities attention. The cost of fishing gear is steadily in- exist. Each plant must provide its own facilities. Be- creasing. The correct choice of equipment, operated cause of distances between plants it is difficult to and serviced by qualified personnel, should lessen share services. It is important to consider carefully annual costs. the equipment proposed in a new design, in relation to the above conditions.

In Canada, as in most countries, the Federal RECOMMENDATIONS Government must approve all design plans, as well as the vessel, when construction is completed. Pro- What constructive steps might be taken to improve vision is made for examination of the ship's stability, the performance of the trawling industry? I would including an inclining test. The Government is the comment as follows: only agency that exercises control over the owner, 1) Shipowners should devote more time to the study architect, yard, and crew. If the owner so desires, of the operation of their vessels. This means further protection and inspection services may be making fishing trips to observe at first hand the obtained by the use of classification societies. The operation of the ship and its equipment, the hand- majority of government requirements do not affect the ling of the fishing gear and icing of the catch, the shipowner adversely, and, indeed, do provide some performance and the comments of the crew, and protection for all parties. Notwithstanding, the owner the procedures to ensure landing best quality. should not neglect his own responsibilities. The best 2) Naval architects and shipyard representatives guarantee available to the owner that the new ship have an equal obligation to go to sea to properly will be satisfactory rests with the integrity, knowledge understand fishing operations. The time used to and experience of the architect and yard. increase their knowledge and understanding should result in a more suitable design and a Provision for future changes should be considered better constructed ship. by the owner. This could include provision of space 3) Greater correlation of the design by the architect, for additional equipment, greater reserves in case of shipyard and equipment suppliers also appears generators and new fishing gear, etc. The stern design necessary to produce a satisfactory ship. As one 56 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE

example, hull vibration can result from a lack in a committee composed of industry and interested such correlation, and may be a continuing defect government representatives would be mainly an in the performance of the ship. advisory one. For example, its duties might be to 4) Operators should study the economics of their present the views of the trawling industry to the trawler operation, such as the species (where federal and provincial governments; to encourage there is a choice) in relation to the possible the use of the Ottawa testing tank and to con- daily catch and profitability, those items that sider items as disciplinary measures applicable vary in the cost per unit quantity of fish landed. to owners and crews, as intoxication. Consideration must b given to increasing the 7) Federal and provincial governments should set time available for fib..ing and in reducing the up facilities to compile, correlate, and publish quantity of fish rejected due to substandard qua- information of interest to the trawling industry. lity. Efforts directed toward combined purchase of The publications would include information ob- goods or services could result in considerable tained from countries in addition to Canada. savings. Efforts should be directed towards ensuring accu- 5) Shipowners must show a more co-operative atti- racy in the material. It is especially important tude in exchanging information and data on their that there be a minimum delay between obtaining vessels, and in working on common problems. and publishing the data. Technical personnel should be hired on a semi- permanent or even permanent basis, to perform 8) Both governments and classification societies studies of various designs, and actual perform- should take a more realistic and sympathetic ance at sea, research on equipment and gear, approach to the construction and operation of and analysis of the economics. Financing to ships. This includes government departments accomplish this should be shared on some equi- as Transport, Public Works, Finance, National table basis. Such projects could continue for Revenue (Customs and Excise Division), and several years. Co-operation to the mutual good National Health and Welfare. Even the Depart- of the members of the industry could well be ment of Labour, with its recent legislation on extended to include projects other than those minimum wages, could be included, as this legis- connected solely with trawlers. lation would apply presumably to reefer vessels 6) A Trawler Committee should be formed to assist engaged in transportation of frozen fillets to in the development of the trawling industry. Such market. The Future and Canadian Offshore Fishing Vessels

by W.R. Murdoch East Coast Producation Manager, British Columbia Packers Ltd., Dartmouth, N.S.

ABSTRACT

The outlook for fishery products in North America is very optimistic. The demand in the United States will increase 40,000,000 pounds annually from population expansion alone. Yet the New England fishery fleet is dwindling and beset with economic problems. Our Canadian industry is trying to take advantage of this situation and our trawler fleets have seen considerable buildup in the past few years.

Our problems then are not those of marketing, but of supply and rising operating costs. To survive and expand, we are obligated to remain competitive against other food products, provide better earnings to manpower, provide incentives to investors and do this keeping in mind that the future can become more competitive on the fishing grounds.

This challenge can be met in two ways: 1. Become more efficient and effective in catching the presently acceptable species. 2. Design and develop vessels and methods for diversified fishing to permit the catching of species not presently utilized.

Besides improvements in technical details, expansion brings about problems related directly with manpower and vessel maintenance, and these areas must keep pace with expansion and improvements. It would also appear that our design improvements mean increases in capital investment, and optimum values should be placed on both the physical size and investment in individual catching units. A study should be undertaken by a government agency to determine the actual factors affecting the selection of a particular type of vessel for our East Coast industry.

The North West Atlantic pelagic fishery stocks hold great promise for the future. In particular, herring appear to be an untapped resource. Vessels should be designed to take advantage of widely scattered stocks for both seasonal inshore and offshore areas. Consideration should also be shown for this fishery in the design of stern trawlers, as groundfish stocks are dwindling and catch statistics show a seasonal pattern. 58 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE

The North American Fisheries Convention held in 3. It has to provide an incentive to investors in Washington, D.C., in May 1965, presented a very op- the form of earnings and security in order to at- timistic outlook for fishery products. The U.S. contract capital for modernization and expansion. sumption of fishery products increased 40% during the 4. It is faced with problems of dwindling stocks last 10 years, and was attributable to such factors as of the presently acceptable species, increased increased population, broader markets, new methods competition from large foreign fleets, and with of distribution and handling techniques, greater variety prospects of more stringent controls related to of species, product forms designed for new segments conservation. of the consumer market, and greater purchasing power, The development of modern fishing vessels can to name but a few. To put this expanding market in play an important part in meeting these obligations. the proper perspective, the population of North America I think we have two immediate areas of improvement is anticipated to increase 2V2% annually. This alone and development: represents an additional market of 4,000,000 con- 1. Become more efficient and effective in catching sumers, or 40,000,000 pounds of additional market per the presently acceptable species of fish. year at the present 10 pounds per capita consumption 2. Design and develop vessels and methods for ratio. diversified fishing to permit the catching of spe- Yet the New England fishing fleet is dwindling, cies not presently fully utilized. has been described as "obsolete" and "100 years behind agriculture in development", and due to many OPERATING EFFICIENCIES economic problems has been unable to keep pace with Many papers to follow will elaborate on the tech- this demand. Consequently, imports of fishery products nical details of design and improvement, but I would into the United States have risen from 40% to 60% of like to spend a short time on some general problems its requirements in the past 10 years, and this trend as seen from an operators, viewpoint. As mentioned will probably be accelerated. earlier, our offshore fleet has expanded 75% in the Our Canadian industry is trying to take advantage last three years. In total it is small compared to many of this situation, and has increased its fishing effort nations, but nonetheless, this relative increase com- considerably in the last decade. For example, trawlers plicates many factors. The two major areas of concern over 100 feet licensed in Nova Scotia were: are labor supply and vessel maintenance. We do not 1952 — 19 have the trained crews of a calibre competent to effi- 1962 — 37 ciently operate additional vessels similar to our pres- 1965 — 65 sent fleet. This situation will become even more apparent as equipment becomes more sophisticated Our problems are not those of marketing as they and complicated. Another area for improvement with have been in the past, but those of dwindling supply fishermen is a closer working relationship with the and rising costs. To complicate matters, we are also owners, with a greater sense of responsibility. Our competing for the same stocks of fish with some na- present lack of terms of employment and in many tions that fish for protein, not profit. cases the abuse of unemployment insurance privi- Our fishing industry has four basic obligations leges are of major concern. to meet if it is to survive and expand: Vessel maintenance is complicated when you 1. It cannot price itself out of the market when consider that the fleet of 65 Nova Scotia trawlers competing with other food products. operates out of twelve ports, yet only Halifax, Sydney, and Lunenburg have complete repair facilities. Another 2. It has to provide earnings to manpower com- factor is our lack of standardization, plus the depen- mensurate with the skills required, risks taken, dence upon foreign countries for the supply of most and working conditions when compared to other fishing, deck, electrical, and mechanical equipment. industries. The labor market is becoming more competitive and other industries appear to be These factors have a decided bearing on the profit able to afford labor a greater share of their prod- and loss position of a trawler and should demand uct value. considerable attention in new construction. During a William Murdoch 59 recent visit to the United Kingdom, it was apparent Canada, and is considering several new trawlers, with to me that the above factors were of only minor impor- the following general requirements: tance there, and had been overcome due to the long 1. Initial cost not to exceed $600,000.00 including history and centralized growth of their fishing indus- subsidy. try. As a yardstick of efficiency, one Aberdeen operator 2. Carrying capacity of approximately 350,000 reported that of his eight near water trawlers, none pounds either iced or refrigerated. spent less than 280 days at sea. The operations of 3. 120 to 125 feet in length. two 120 foot steel trawlers, 2 years old, were analyzed 4. Crew complement of 6 men per watch. by John Proskie in "Costs and Earnings of Selected 5. 750 to 800 H.P. propulsion engine. Fishing Enterprises, Nova Scotia, 1964". By compar- 6. Maximum efficiency and versatility. ison, these vessels averaged 260 days at sea. To design an East Coast trawler within similar There has been a trend in Canada during the last limits would be a challenging exercise for any naval year toward stern trawlers of a size and cost consid- architect. erably greater than recent side trawlers. As very few To my knowledge, a Canadian trawler has yet stern trawlers have been built for similar near water to be built, based strictly on the requirements of serv- service in the United Kingdom, it would appear that ice peculiar to a Canadian based vessel. A very Canadian owners are much more enthusiastic for design comprehensive study entitled "Choice of Boat Type changes. The basic need for new designs in the U.K. and Size for Polish Deep-Sea Fisheries" was pre- distant water appears to be founded on the fact that sented by Mr. Jerry Swiecicki at the F.A.O. Council trawlers must be capable of processing or freezing of Fisheries in Rome, 1959. This report was published their catch due to the long distances between the more in "Fishing Vessels of the World — Vol. II" and could prolific fishing grounds and their home market. very easily be adapted as the format for a study of Although some near water operators in the United the vessel requirements of our East Coast fishing Kingdom have gambled on new and radical designs, industry. This approach is very extensive and goes many vessel operators (who could be compared in size into lengthy detail on all of the factors affecting the to many Canadian operators) cannot justify the risk of selection of a particular type of vessel. I would capital based on results to date. As a vessel operator, strongly recommend that a government agency, such I mention this as a word of caution as there must be as the Industrial Development Service, undertake such an optimum size not only in the physical sense, but a survey to assist the development in the proper also in the capital investment. The current policies direction. of subsidies, accelerated depreciation and tax benefits could possibly lead to over investment in individ- DIVERSIFICATION ual catching units. Considerable interest has been shown recently in the pelagic fish stocks of the Northwest Atlantic.. A few years ago we had an experienced West During the past year, our company entered the herring Coast dragger captain spend several weeks on the purse seine fishery in the Bay of Fundy and the South East Coast, and he made a trip aboard a new 130 ft. Coast of Newfoundland. side trawler. He reported that he would relish the I would like to touch briefly on the East Coast opportunity to fish side by side in a West Coast type herring seine fishery, both present and future, as I of dragger and prove his point that East Coast trawlers feel confident that future vessels will be designed are unnecessarily large and over-crewed for the type either specifically for this fishery, or as combination of service required. Again maybe our thinking to date vessels. has been too closely allied to European ideas and methods, and our ideas should be scaled down instead Herring seining has been primarily carried out in of up. the Bay of Fundy area and the development of East Coast seiners has been based on local market and Our company is in the midst of the groundfish fishing conditions. These boats evolved from the Cape expansion currently underway on the West Coast of Island lobster boat, which has an open but very roomy 60 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE after deck. Most new construction is in the 50 to 60 to remain away from the stern. Maneuvering in oper ft. range, with closed decks and a carrying capacity water can therefore be done by the main engine along of 35 to 50 tons. They require a tender, usually a with such innovations as activated rudders, bow thrust. similar sized boat of 40 to 60 tons capacity which ers and water jets. The elimination of the power skifl also performs assistance in the fishing operation. or assistance from another vessel is a decided advan- Load capacity limits their area of operation to about tage when fishing under rough weather conditions. 60 miles from a processing plant. However, they are However, the deck layout with superstructure aft has very effective catching units, being highly maneuver- sometimes presented problems of stability; it is e able, light on gear, economical in operation, with low poor working platform because it is high above the initial cost and hence well suited for this area. water, and complicates the handling of gear. These problems became evident in a recent con- We introduced two larger vessels in this area, version of a 94 ft. wooden scallop dragger to seining, capable of carrying 100 and 220 tons. These vessels but were not considered serious. However, it was still were West Coast rigged; the smaller one a typical 74 deemed necessary to use a power skiff with this con- ft. salmon — herring semer, the other a converted 110 version, hence no advantage is apparent yet, except ft. wooden minesweeper. Both vessels carry a 22 ft. to prove that boats of this type can be converted to power skiff to assist in the handling of the seine. The another type of fishing. purse seines were of heavier construction than those In the United States, off the Atlantic Coast and used on the smaller Bay of Fundy boats, being about menhaden fishery uses a 320 fathoms long by 40 fathoms deep and heavily in the Gulf of Mexico, the different seining method. This involves a "mother leaded. Maneuverability was a problem in the Bay of ship" which acts as a carrier for two fishing boats Fundy with shallow waters, rough bottom and strong and the catch. These vessels range from 120 to 220 tide conditions. The nets were too deep for the known feet, with capacities up to 1,000 tons, and the fishing fishing grounds, but modifications were made and the boats are similar to our large power skiffs. On reaching results were quite gratifying. the fishing grounds, the "mother ship" launches the The south coast of Newfoundland is quite dif- two fishing boats that carry the net between them, and ferent. Seining has been conducted in deep water the complete net handling sequence is performed 131, along the exposed shore and in sheltered inlets with them, with the "mother ship" pumping the catch negligible tides. In both cases, the heavier and deeper aboard. This system has certain advantages such as seines have been very suitable. In the winter of 1964- less strain on gear, maneuverability and speed ir 65, we operated only the 110-footer, with suitable using two small fishing units; conversely, rough fishing weather averaging only two days per week. weather presents problems both in fishing and hand- This winter we are comparing the 74-footer to the ling the small catcher boats on and off the "mother larger boat, and find that the 110-footer is far more ship." effective due to poor weather and long distances to an economical fishing and carry- the plant. To operate The herring stocks in the Northwest Atlantic arl ing unit under these conditions, it would appear that reported to be abundant in many areas, some of ther with capacity a semer should be at least 100 feet long very remote from present processing and service facill in excess of 150 tons. ities. Due to the seasonal nature of herring, it i offshore herring sein- We have not attempted any doubtful if large processing plants can be built conditions, ing, and this could present different working close proximity to fishing grounds, and if they are possibly employing larger fishing units. Two offshore then the operating season will be limited. These cor methods Iceland and the United are presently used in ditions would therefore point to the building up of States. mobile fleet, capable of operating as far away as 30 In Iceland, seiners are similar to our 120 to 130 or 400 miles from processing plants. Present informE foot side trawlers. The net is worked from the boat tion on herring seasons would indicate that herrin deck aft of the wheelhouse and the power skiff elim- seining can be carried on the year round, using three inated by pursing well forward and allowing the net four different bases of operat_ion such as Southwester Mike Waters and Marcel Goulet 61

Nova Scotia in the summer, the Gulf of St. Lawrence in determining the earning power of such a vessel. in late spring or early fall and Newfoundland in the One boat operator in Nova Scotia has under construc- winter. tion a wooden 108 foot stern scallop dragger. This is a combination design, adaptable to stern trawling or From our experiments to date, larger combined seining. catching and carrying units appear to be the logical Besides this versatility, it has wheelhouse step forward in this development. However, further controls for the winch and all engine room equipment, plus automated handling, washing and cooling of scal- study might indicate the advantages of the afore- lops. It is estimated that these improvements in layout mentioned other types or a combination of more than one type. and equipment will reduce the crew complement from 17 to 15 men and increase the days per trip, thus This fishery should be kept in mind when con- creating an additional 25 to 35 days at sea per year. sidering stern trawler designs. According to statistics These factors should contribute increased earnings published by the Economics Service, Department of to both the crew and owners. The size and design of Fisheries, over 40% of the groundfish landed in the the hull are basically the same as some very suc- Maritimes by trawlers over 70 feet has been landed in cessful scallop boats presently in operation, so this the 4 - month period from March 1 to June 30th. A new vessel should command considerable attention. combination trawler-seiner could possibly increase its earnings by converting to a different type of fishing In conclusion, it would seen evident that during according to the seasons. However, the cost of con- the next ten years the Northwest Atlantic fishery will version including down time and lost earnings as well see the survival of the fittest. This conference will as the amount of capital investment in various types no doubt provide the Canadian industry with many of of gear and equipment must be seriously considered the basic ingredients for its success.

A Skipper's Viewpoint on Offshore Fishing Vessels

by Captain Morrill H. Rodgerson Upper Port La Tour, N.S.

ABSTRACT

We are 50 years behind agriculture. Today almost all the fainters have replaced their horse- drawn plows with tractors but in fisheries, thousands of our small fishermen are still fishing in boats which in all truth, as far as productivity is concerned, can be compared to the horse and plow. Automation is coming. Bigger and bigger fishing vessels are going to be operated by smaller and smaller crews. If we are to be competitive w ith foreign fishing vessels, our per capita landings must go up. By the same token, the smaller and smaller crews will have to be more skilled and they will all have to be paid more money — much more money. Herein lies the key, increased productivity and decreased number of men on fishing vessels.

It is difficult, if not impossible, to conceive what fishing vessels will be like in 1975. The boats we are going to build will be influenced by what the other great fishing nations of the world will build.

Ships without efficient stabilization systems will be looking around for crew members in five years' time.

The crews of the future, if indeed we shall have men to man our vessels in ten years' time, will come from the high schools, fisheries colleges or perhaps come into the country as immigrants. Men with a lower education than Grade 11 or 12 will not be capable of either managing or operating the fishing boats of 1975. If we are to retain men of this calibre, they must have accommodation which is equal to or better than that which they have at home; showers, recreation space, libraries, comfortable chairs and the like. Vessel operators will have to get used to these ideas in the very near future.

Sections of this paper deal with working accommodation, fish holds, alternating crews, engine rooms, and safety.

The naval architects, shipbuilders and vessel owners must now think in terms of building ships on which men of the future will want to fish. These must be ships on which manual work, discomfort and the number of hours at sea are reduced to a level which makes the workers' conditions on fishing vessels comparable with those in shore based plants and where the rewards are commensurate with the isolation, risks and work involved. 64 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE

When I was asked if I would present "A Skipper's I come to think of it, there are perhaps 20 speakers Viewpoint" at this conference, I had very strange who will be dealing with boat design, engines, layout, feelings. Here I am, a very ordinary fisherman, mixing navigational devices, and so on. On the other hand, I with Ministers and Deputy Ministers of the Crown, alone am left to tell the story of what the men who shipbuilders, naval architects and fishing company have gone down to the sea in fishing vessels think owners. about it all. But I am not here just to tell you what "Bubbles" It is all very well talking about efficiency, greater Rodgerson thinks but to give you a skipper's viewpoint catches, better fish holds and even better living and and to reflect to you what I think many skippers and working quarters for the men, but this is not enough. fishermen feel about spending 5,000 hours a year away Automation is coming and I would be foolish not to from their families on the rolling, tossing, pitching recognize this. Bigger and bigger fishing vessels are fishing platforms known as fishing boats, when people going to be operated by smaller and smaller crews. I in this highly industrialized and affluent society are am at present operating a 65-foot longliner but will talking about a 35-hour work week (approximately soon be in command of my own 98-foot deepsea long- 1,700 hours of work per year). I would like to be able liner. If we are to be competitive with foreign fishing to say that I am here as an official representative nom- vessels, our per capita landings must go up. By the inated by the fishermen, but such is not the case. I am same token, the smaller and smaller crews will have here by invitation. to be more skilled, and they will all have to be paid I have the feeling that I was asked to speak to more money - much more money. Herein lies the key, you because I am considered to be a successful fisher- increased productivity and decreased number of men on fishing vessels. man, and I cannot deny that such is the case. I can speak freely because I am my own master. People say The day when illiterate and unskilled men are that I am a controversial character and that I hold strong views about fisheries and that I am not afraid virtually dragged on to fishing boats is quickly dis- to say what I think. Again I have to agree with these appearing. At this conference, we are talking about a views which people hold about me. new era in Canada's fisheries. We are now building "million dollar boats" on which the interest the owner Let me say that a revolution is in progress in the must pay on capital alone, at 6%, would amount to commercial fisheries of the Atlantic Coast. Changes $30,000 per year or $85 per day. I know many of you are coming about so rapidly that it is difficult for any will say that a 10 or 12-year repayment period is too one man to keep up with everything that is happening. short. All I can say is that at the rate of progress we Many people in industry and in the Federal and Pro- are now making in fishing vessel design we should be vincial Governments seem to feel quite encouraged at short-sighted if we did not plan along these lines. the developments which are taking place. There is, It is difficult, if not impossible, to conceive of however, one thing wrong with the changes which are what fishing vessels will be like in 1975. Progress happening and that is that they should have happened 50 years ago. in the design and development of our deepsea fishing vessels is not dependent only on what the naval ar- We are 50 years behind agriculture. Today almost chitects and shipbuilders of Canada produce, with all all the farmers have replaced their horse-drawn plows due respect to all of you here today. The boats we are with tractors but in fisheries, thousands of our small going to build will be influenced by what the other fishermen are still fishing in boats which in all truth, great fishing nations of the world will build. As an as far as productivity is concerned, can be compared international fishing nation, Canada has dropped from to the horse and plow. the seventh to the eighth or ninth place amongst the fishing nations of the world. We have to keep up with Now I could go on to talk about deck layouts, en- competing nations and we have to be like Annie in the gines, boat design, safety at sea and to mention some song from "Annie Get Your Gun" and say, "Anything of the things which I think should be done about them. you can do I can do better, I can do anything better But this meeting is made up of technical people who than you." If we are to stop sliding down the hill to are far more capable than I am in these matters. When the tenth place and the eleventh place, we have to do Captain M. Rodgerson 65

what other people are doing; only we have to do it much equal to those enjoyed by most workers in modern land- better and if we can't do this on our "home grounds", based plants. To say that we in Canada can send a we perhaps have no right to be in the business. satellite into orbit, build and operate complex computers and yet be unable to build fishing vessels which Now to get down to some specifics. can catch and handle fish better than we are doing now, even on the very best of our trawlers, is non- FLUME STABILIZATION sense. If you want to do something about comfort for Hundreds of men are still gutting fish on the open fishermen, don't start with carpets on the floor but wind-swept decks of boats and working up to their stabilize the platform. My prediction is that ships knees in fish and gurry, gutting them as their grand- without efficient stabilization systems will be looking fathers and great grandfathers did. Even on some of around for crew members in five years, time. It is the modern stern trawlers with covered working decks, obvious that if a man is going to choose between two the story is not much better. What is the matter with boats offering him the same wage, he will tend to the shipbuilders and designers? Is Canada, with all choose the more stable boat. its engineering skills, incapable of producing simple machines which will automatically slit and take the LIVING ACCOMMODATION guts out of a fish? A lot of vessel owners argue that many men don't care about larger and cleaner living quarters, that they If only one per cent of the brain power and the don't want to wash and shower and sleep like normal inventive genius which goes into the development of human beings, but don't let this thinking carry you electronic equipment for the bridge could be devoted away. This kind of thinking does exist but it belongs to improving the handling of fish aboard trawlers, in the past and we are talking about the future. the fishermen of the east coast could have a much better life at sea. The crews of the future, if indeed we shall have men to man our vessels in ten years, time, will come from the high schools, fisheries colleges or perhaps FISH HOLDS come into the country as immigrants. Men with a lower The fishing industry on its catching vessels prob- education than Grade 11 or 12 will not be capable of ably uses the most antiquated methods for storing, either managing or operating the fishing boats of 1975. holding and unloading its products. They are probably If we are to retain men of this calibre, they must have the most backward methods used by any industry in accommodation which is equal to or better than that Canada. We still carry hundreds of tons of ice to the which they have at home; showers, recreation space, fishing grounds, spend endless hours shovelling it and libraries, comfortable chairs and the like. Vessel oper- then engage in a Stone Age method of unloading both ators will have to get used to these ideas in the very the ice and the fish. For the most part, it is taken out near future. in the same way that the Disciples took the fish from Personally I see no move afoot, at any level of the boats on Galilee 2,000 years ago, by baskets. Have government or industry, which gives me the slightest you ever stood on the dockside and seen the pathetic indication that there is any real recognition of the need process? for these matters to be considered. They are consider- A ship is a large and expensive unit. From an ations which are being swept under the rug. economical point of view, time spent in port must be kept to a minimum. Loading and discharging of cargo WORKING ACCOMMODATION must therefore draw a deserved share of attention, The advent of the stern trawler, the covered because a considerable part of costs falls into this working deck and the remote control of deck machinery category. Fishing vessels these days spend too much from the bridge are all forward steps which will help of their time in port. There are many and obvious rea- improve the working conditions of the fishermen. Work- sons for this. Inadequate and antiquated port facilities, ing conditions, even on the best fishing vessels, must lack of trained labour in the handling of cargo, and be greatly improved before they can be considered as last but not least the ship's cargo handling gear itself, 66 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE just to mention a few. In all this, automation has a this, some with excellent results. However, it is felt great task to perform. Apart from a few small improve- that a good deal is yet to be accomplished in this ments in cargo handling gear over the last decade, no regard. Firstly, all controls should be accommodated appreciative rationalization has taken place. on a single panel, a panel where engines can be started, stopped, reversed and otherwise controlled. ALTERNATING CREWS Engine room operation from the bridge could be sim- When a plane touches down at the Montreal airport, plified by linking the engine room telegraph with we think nothing of it when the crew walks off and main engine control devices. The elimination of the another crew takes over — why should this not be the engine room telegraph altogether has also been at- practice on fishing vessels? tempted and accomplished, particularly in ships fitted with adjustable propeller blades. Full control of the On the west coast of Canada, crews of tug boats engines in this case is accomplished from the bridge, work on a shift system which gives them as many days hence no telegraph is needed. ashore as they have afloat. How much longer can we expect fishermen to go to sea for 30 voyages a year SAFETY of perhaps eight days each for a total of 240 days a year (5,760 hours)? The safety requirements of the modern trawler are regulated by the Steamship Inspection Service Such arrangements would, as I have said before, of the Department of Transport. The modern inflat- mean smaller crews working harder and long hours able life raft has made it possible for a crew of when aboard, but it would also mean that men would fishermen to survive at sea, in the event of having get more time at home with their families. to abandon ship in winter weather. The one piece of equipment that should be re- ENGINE ROOMS quired aboard any modern fishing trawler is a gas- We can see the day coming when the engineer, in mask. the traditional sense, will be no longer needed. Pro- In the event of fire in the engine toom, it is pulsion units and remote and automatic controls sys- almost impossible to get at the source of the fire tems are becoming so efficient that it will only be due to smoke and fumes. Quite often a small fire necessary to carry one man with engineering knowl- in the engine room will fill the area with such a dense edge aboard each vessel. blanket of smoke and fumes that a man cannot get When automation is to be considered, there are near the source of the fire. The Marine Distress Cloth two items from an owner's point of view, which are: should be carried by all ships, large and small. the price of building ships must be reduced and operation costs lessened, or the sum of both over a period of years must be as low as possible. Sound CONCLUSION investment of capital is the goal. One may argue The naval architects, shipbuilders and vessel whether or not improved materials, up-to-date ar- owners must now think in terms of building ships rangements and systems will in the long run be eco- on which men of the future will want to fish. These nomical. For this reason, it is necessary to explore must be ships on which manual work, discomfort and new avenues, such as automation in ships, perhaps the number of hours at sea are reduced to a level complete automation as a future objective. which makes the workers' conditions on fishing vessels comparable with those in shore based plants Coming to remote control of engines from the and where the rewards are commensurate with the bridge, various attempts have been made to arrange isolation, risks and work involved. 67

DISCUSSION: Second Afternoon Session, February 7

Mr. Traung to Captain Rodgerson: "Who is going to finance the successful development of experimental work? (a) naval architects? (b)s_hipyards? (c) fishermen? (d) companies? (e) consumers? (f) government (that is, the taxpayers)?" Captain Rodgerson said that the financing should be a joint effort — shipyards, fishermen, companies, the government and anyone who was interested in the fishing industry. Mr. Dennis Roberts, commenting on this aspect, said that fishermen themselves must finance further development by greater automation and reductions of crews. Mr. Traung, discussing Captain Rodgerson's paper, said that if fishing boats were not improved, companies would not be able to get fishermen. He listed three problems: resistance from fishermen; lack of desire on the part of architects to change traditional design, and the fact that individual companies did not want to spend unnecessary money on design. Mr. G.E. Kristinsson, congratulating Captain Rodgerson on his "very excellent contribution", said it was valuable for a naval architect to receive such observations from an experienced fishing vessel captain. "Unfortunately," he added, "naval architects do not have too many opportunities to go to sea, the reason being the same as that which prevents vessel captains from being able to spend too much time ashore. Therefore, a naval architect has to depend on practical information given by the captain. "I noticed with great interest that Captain Rodgerson has faith in automation and remote controls in deck machinery as well as engine room equipment, and it is interesting to note that some of the fishermen are starting to think along such lines. There are technicians and shipbuilders, here in Canada, very well capable of designing and building modern, fully automated fishing vessels. But up to very recently, and it still exists to a great extent, it is the fishermen themselves who keep things behind the times, due to not wanting to be pioneers in any new design or new venture, and always waiting for someone else to take the first step." Mr. Corlett, commenting on Mr. Russell's paper, said: "The stern trawler undoubtedly does cost more than the side trawler. If you have ships of equal size, the steel weight of the stern trawler is greater than that of the side trawler for a number of good reasons. Generally it is a more powerful ship, too, and it is necessary to install a much larger trawl winch than with a side trawler. The fishing capacity of the stern trawler per minute or hour of trawl is obviously no greater than that of a side trawler, but it is true that the trawl is on the ground for a longer period. So per day or per whatever you like, the stern trawler perhaps has a greater fishing potential. This however, to me, does not seem to be the crux of the question. The side trawler, by nature of the way it handles its gear, exposes the crew to the weather in a far more obvious fashion than does the stern trawler, whatever its detailed design, and the fisherman on a side trawler has unquestionably a more arduous life. The very nature of the operation of getting in the net on the side trawler exposes the fisherman to the weather and to the sea much more than on a stern trawler. The fact that the stern trawler can haul its nets safely into the weather generally extends the possibility of operation, and of course the working deck can be sheltered from spray, wind and so on much more effectively."

Mr. Corlett also spoke of the crew situation, and gave it as his private opinion that one of the reasons many new side trawlers had been built in Great Britain was that the introduction of a large number of stern trawlers into the fleet might have resulted in crewing problems with respect to side trawlers. He suggested, with deference, that anyone who built a side trawler in Canada in this day and age was takingthe risk that in five years' time he would find it difficult to crew it. 68 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE

idr. Allen asked illr. l:ussell to comment on the difficulties encountered with the 155 ft. stem ramp trawler mentioned in his report.

Mr. Russell said: "Naturally we regarded this vessel as somewhat of an experimental one, and we did experience various troubles; indeed, we still do." He explained that the two main defects were that thetrawler was heavier than had been planned for and hence had less freeboard, and that there was rather severe hull vibration from the heavy duty, slow speed, four-cycle diesel engine. Other, smaller problems were lack of deck space and the poor position of piping, which blocked out lights. "Actually," he said, "she is an excellent boat and in contrast to early opinions, as far as we are concerned, stern trawling has proved itself." He went on to say that a smaller stern trawler is, in his opinion, superior to even a larger side trawler.

Mr. Ross disagreed with the statement made by a previous speaker from England that British trawler owners had not built stern trawlers because they were frightened of the problems of crewing side trawlers. "The reason for our not having gone into stern trawling quicker was, I think, purely a question of economics. We are one of the industries in the world fishing for profit, not protein - I think that phrase was used earlier. And it is extremely difficult to earn a profit for the stern trawler, such are the difficulties in its early development." In stating that many mis- takes had been made, he added: "It's no good saying `Let's all get together and build the most perfect stern trawler'. You won't do it that way. You've all got to get in on it, do one, make a mistake and then build the right one a few years later and, from my experience, Good Luck! You'll need it."

Mr. Barker agreed that stern trawlers are the ships of the future, but said that his company must remain partly with side trawlers for unloading at certain ports.

Mr. Corney agreed that the stern trawler can fish more in stormy weather than the side trawler.

Mr. Harvey commented that the human element must certainly be considered in designing fishing boats. He thought it heartening that there had been discussion on the matter of the comforts of men on ships, and of their accommodation. In the past, if anyone had asked him about a career as a fisherman, he would have described it as a pretty grim prospect, but now, from what he had heard at the Conference, he did not think that the work would be as arduous, and that it was an occupation the young man of today might look at much more closely.

Dr. Needler, concluding the discussion, said it had been obvious all day that the needs of the fisherman had been stressed. He recalled that, as a "callow boy", he had been aboard some schooners with no power at all, and had watched the dory fleet disappear. He understood from the people who operated them that this had happened not because the schooners were unprofitable but that they could not get the men to operate them - too much skill needed and too much danger. He thought that now we might be witnessing another stage in the same development. Morning Session, February 8, 1966

Fishing Vessels and Fish Carriers

:V ode rat or

Brian Meagher

Engineering and Design of an 89 ft. Combination Fishing Vessel

by Mike Waters and Marcel Goulet, Marine Industries Limited, Sorel, P.Q.

Presented by

Paul=Hus Fernand Paul-Hus

ABSTRACT

This paper deals mainly with the engineering involved in the design of an 89 ft. combination purse seiner and side trawler, with special reference to items which depart from conventional practice.

With reference to the hull, main dimensions are given, form and stability are discussed while ideas concerning the accommodation layout and fish hold are outlined.

Machinery is divided as follows:- a) choice and arrangement of equipment. b) shafting and piping, with items of particular interest being detailed by sketch and description.

It is hoped that the line of thought laid down in the paper may serve to promote ideas when future designs are developed.

As, at the time of preparing this paper, the first two vessels had only been in service for a short period of time, no firm conclusions can be drawn.

However, during the first month of operation, the vessel has satisfactorily ridden through 60 m.p.h. winds besides landing 2'/z million lbs. of herring - a promising start.

INTRODUCTION Since purse seining was going to be seasonal, it was proposed that a combination side trawler and The specific requirements for the design and purse seiner would be built which would have the construction of steel side trawlers is now fairly well general characteristics compatible to both duties and known to our staff and during the past four years, be fitted with the necessary equipment to perform experience was gained in coastructing a valuable both functions. series of g2 foot steel trawlers for the Quebec fishermen. Our interest in purse seiners was motivated by This paper will deal mainly with the design and two simultaneous inquiries from our local fishing engineering of an 99 foot combination purse seiner and industries. side trawler with reference to items which depart 72 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE from conventional or popular practice. The prototype Prop. Shaft R.P.M. 363 vessel name VU/mont 2 is owned by Gorton Pew Propeller — (1-3 Blades) 66" D. X 40" P. Ltd. Two sister ships have been built for Grindstone Bollard Pull Capacity 11,200 Lbs. Fisheries Ltd. and an order has been placed recently by Fishery Products Ltd. for two more similar vessels HULL DESIGN 8,b CHARACTERISTICS but equipped with a Caterpillar propulsion engine. A combination vessel such as this, with approximately half its scheduled service time being spent PRINCIPAL CHARACTERISTICS using either fishing method, required special thought Length O.A. 88' —8" and re-assessment of the normal compromises. Length B.P. 78' —2" The substantial and considerable fishing gear Breadth, Mid 21 —8" plus the modern demands for increased navigation and Depth, Mid . 11' —0" (+ Skeg) fish finding equipment, all with high center of gravity, Draft, 1Vlean (loaded) 10.-0" meant stability would be a prime factor in the design Fish Carrying Capacity (with 22" study. Freeboard) . 200,000 Lbs. Fish Hold Volume ...... 4,000 Cu. Ft. STABILITY Gross Tonnage 150 Net Tonnage 64 While a LOA/Beam ratio of, say, 3.8 would give Potable Water Tank Capacity 700 Gals. good stability and operating characteristics for a stern F.O. Bunker Tank Capacity 6,000 Gals. trawler of this size, our experience with earlier ves- Crew 8 sels has indicated that a somewhat narrower vessel Engine ("GM" 7162-7000—V-16) 463 H.P. @ would have better directional stability for side trawl- 1,800 R.P.M. ing. This is also aided by the reduced turning couple

PROFILE FIG. NO. 1 Mike Waters and Marcel Goulet 73 resulting from the net pull being at a smaller distance The inclining experiment on a completed vessel from the ship's centreline. A ratio of approx. 4.1 was with rigging for both styles of fishing, showed that a finally chosen. GM of about 2 ft. had been achieved.

Space for solid ballast was ideally provided for HULL FORM in the substantial skeg/keel combination that also serves well to reduce roll, provide structural rigidity As during purse seining, the vessel could at some and further improve the directional stability. time be expected to become wrapped in its net, both the forefoot and the rudder were well rounded and Although the mast, booms and rigging are extre- ground smooth to avoid unnecessary wear and tear. mely sturdy, many small standard details were re-designed and lightened, so that all necessary weight The raised topsides forward provide excellent aloft became functional. accommodation for a vessel of this size, besides keeping her reasonably dry. Only a moderate flare Stability at small and large angles was thoroughly investigated, the no-load arrival condition plus ice on deck proving to be the controlling limit for the amount of ballast to be used. During a discussion, an interesting point was raised. As the deck goes awash, the stability arm starts to decrease. However, part of the ice effect may be offset by the added buoyancy of same as it becomes immersed: This additional righting couple is not guaranteed, due to irregular ice distribution, but some beneficial effect could exist.

NUe AY. 74 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE

was incorporated forward, as it was felt that too much conditions of trim are possible regardless of the load- would: ing to be considered. A study of the general arrange- 1) Tend to absorb too much power when pitching. ment will show how this was achieved. 2) Add to the wind resistance forward and possibly make steering difficult. WEIGHT BALANCE

In this last regard, the requirement to keep the As some items of considerable weight were off after half of the main deck clear for fishing, results centre, several checks of athwartship centre of gravity in the centre of pressure of the above water area being were made. An outcome of this was that it became well forward of the centre of gravity. In a beam or possible to move the main winch to Port and so great- quartering wind, this could cause steering problems, ly assist in providing reasonable cable leads to the unless precautions are taken. Our solution was to deck blocks at the foot of the purse davit. Also, keep the raised part at the ship's side as short as items that were to be removed when side trawling possible and to provide a rudder of proven design and were balanced by items required for purse Seining. efficiency. SUPERSTRUCTURE & ACCOMMODATION

Our experience with tug rudders operating at low Few compromises were required to provide a most speeds and relatively high angles has shown that a satisfactory arrangement. Mess table, stove and frig flat plate rudder with fairly large horizontal top and were arranged athwartship to avoid accidents and bottom plates gives excellent maneouvrability at all spills while stairways and bunks were arranged speeds. This style was incorporated, the response longitudinally to offer side support when rolling. being such that the tendency is now for the helmsman Better than average stairway slopes to E.R. and to rather "oversteer" and so amplify any "course wheelhouse were considered a convenience and these wandering" until familiarity is obtained. were incorporated.

The midship section has a moderately high rise A large oilskin locker was also considered a of floor. As the ends are fairly fine, this did not must and this was placed adjacent to the main en- materially affect the prismatic coefficient, but did trance. General bunk arrangement has proved satis- serve to keep the lower chine line fairly straight in factory with the exception that the double bunks could profile. This line gives a fair indication of the good be lower, as the ventilation ducting robs the upper buttock flow to the propeller. The lower chine line bunks of the planned headroom. has a slight reversal aft as it blends into a flattened "fantail" stern below the waterline. This is done in APPEARANCE an attempt to keep the screw well covered and in con- However functional, no small boat owner can deny junction with the rudder top plate prevents air from that a vessel that "looks right" adds pride to their being sucked down by the screw that would cause a satisfaction. large drop in efficiency. To this aim, attention was paid to bulwark lines, Above the lower chine aft, the second chine, etc., while fenders and funnel were picked out in deck and bulwark widen progressively to give stowage paint with contrasting colours. In an attempt to com- space for the large seine net and also to provide a bat the premature rusting of exterior surfaces, modern straight length of bulwark rail aft on which to haul polyurethane and epoxy paints were applied over up the seine skiff. freshly sand blasted surfaces. The service life of these finishes will be watched with interest.

LAYOUT OF TANKS FISH HOLD The location and size of all large tanks were Fish hold insulation and finish follow modern laid out to provide considerable control over the heel practice with 6" thickness of styrofoam being used and trim of the vessel. Complete transfer arrangements with fibreglass sheathed plywood forming a water- are provided between the four oil fuel tanks and good tight liner to the hold, enclosing all irregular items Mike Waters and Marcel Goulet 75 of structure. Only the tunnel top with its access This water then drains to troughs each side of manholes and the aluminum pillars remain unsheathed. the tunnel and then to a drain well at the deepest part. The standard strainer used here on the suction As a considerable amount of water is present tends to block with scale when herring is loaded and when loading and unloading herring with the fish-pump, so a 1/2" mesh screen strainer will be made available some means of draining the pockets of water that to be interchangeable as required. form was required. Perforated drain pipes were installed vertically SEINE SKIFF at intervals, with many pounds being saved by the use of commercially available fibre "French drains". The basic design used was received from the These were perfectly suited to the job of draining off Federal Department of Fisheries in Ottawa. As its excess water, regardless of its level. weight checked out in excess of three tons, the few 7 «, cp

FUEL OIL TK.

71 • vite / 4 -1- 'SEA 7 [1742111 sga 9HEST CHtbT eb,li r ) MI

■■ ....à.m.. . mm 1 - F-1 l'irede7iimM41111111111.1.MLICUR■ -.1■1Al 0

CHAIN mum .1-. I LOCKER pig • --©

- FUEL OIL TK. c9 cp PLAN VIEW OF ENGINE ROOM FIG. NO.5 (See page 81 for Key)

76 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE

D. GREASE LINE TO

o EACH BEARING B H T.

CO W.

W.T. HATCH W.T. TUNNEL COVER 13"X18 5' MANHOLE

I 1 J

le B. L .

A- STERNTUBE COVER PLATE B- PROPELLER SHAFT

C- SYNTRON SEAL D- INTERMEDIATE SHAFT iro E- SHAFT BEARINGS F- BHD. GLAND G- WATER LEVEL ALARM ik 1 se

SKEG SHAFTI NG ARRG'T. 11, B.L . FIG. NO.6 SECTION

changes that were made were aimed at reducing this directly from the engine room to the bearings and and lowering its centre of gravity when stowed on the stern tube gland could not be spared. The tunnel is net aft. In this latter regard, a small tunnel was in- therefore provided with W.T. inspection covers fitted corporated aft to allow the boat to sit lower over the over the bearings, couplings and sterntube gland. The large propeller required for good tow pull. following items are detailed individually. a) Shaft Bearings. Possibly a sea-sled type with tunnel continuing The three intermediate shaft bearings (Cooper - aft might merit consideration in the future unless No. MSP-403 Ex.) are fitted with grease lines for purse seining over the stern becomes popular. In this periodic greasing directly from the engine room, case, no seine skiff would be required. to protect them against corrosion. Two air vents are provided for air circulation in the tunnel. b) High Water Level Alarm MACHINERY In order to become immediately aware of the I- SHAFTING (See Fig. 6) accidental presence of water in the tunnel, a Due to the relatively small size of the vessel, water detection alarm is fitted. (Mobrey - No. the space for a tunnel large enough to allow access 530-FOZB) Mike Waters and Marcel Goulet 77 c) Sterntube Gland. (See Fig. 7) b) The pump drive case ("Swann" - No. BT-399) has In order to eliminate most of the attention and an enclosed chain drive. It is compact, has its maintenance normally associated with the con- three hydraulic pumps flange mounted and an extra ventional gland, a propeller shaft seal ("Syn- output remains available for a fourth pump, should tron" 6', dia. No. RP-192) is fitted at the stern- an additional hydraulic source of power become tube. This seal is provided with lubrication and useful. the lube oil piping from a gravity oil tank is designed to enable detection of the accidental c) The steering gear hydraulic pump and the centrifugal presence of water within the seal cartridge by pump ("Flomax" - No. 544-B) are driven from a draining a small amount of oil at regular intervals. separate shaft which is itself belt driven from the d) Sterntube and Propeller Shaft. main engine. "°POLY-V" endless belts are preferred The sterntube bearings are "Goodrich" cutless here for taking less space, permitting the use of rubber bearings and the forged steel propeller smaller pulleys and having proven to be long last- shaft is fitted with bronze liners. The cooling ing. The belts are 50% wider than recommended to water to the cutless bearings is fed from the main insure an even higher service factor. engine cooling raw water discharge line. In order 4- SHIP SERVICE GENERATORS (115/230 V - A/C to ensure that a sufficient amount of water is Single Phase) supplied to the cutless bearings, the raw water discharge pressure was raised to 8 P.S.I. by the a) Working Unit. introduction of a 1" dia. orifice plate in the line. Alternator: "Stamford" Type MX-13-C 16 KW @ 1800 See Fig. 9 R.P.M. Diesel Engine: "Ruston/Paxman" Model 2- MAIN ENGINE POWER TAKE-OFF (See Fig. 8) 3 YWA, 35 HP @ 1800 RPM The main engine power take-off required to oper- Note:- In addition, this engine drives the G.S. Pump ate the hydraulic deck machinery, the steering gear ("Flomax" - 544 B) hydraulic pump and one of the two general service b) Stand-by Unit pumps is arranged as follows: Alternator: Same as a) (Limited to 13 KW) a) Airflex Clutch. Diesel Engine: "Ruston/Paxman" Model 2 YWA A "Faywick" (No. 8CB-250) Airflex clutch MK-2, 23 HP @ 1800 R.P.M. transmits the power (100 H.P. @ 1800 RPM) to The 'principal reasons which influenced this choice the hydraulic pump drive case. This type of clutch are: is preferred here for its simplicity and quality to act as a flexible coupling. In addition, it is ideal- Cost Consideration - ly suited for remote control from the wheelhouse, The purchase price and the installation cost of an requiring only 1/" dia. (100 P.S.I.) air supply air cooled engine were found to be lower when com- line for its operation. pared with a heat exchanger cooled engine.

STATIONARY PARTS 78 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE

A-"POLY- V" BELT DRIVES B- "FAWICK" AIRFLEX CLUTCH C- "SWANN" PUMP DRIVE CASE D- HYDRAULIC PUMPS E- "TWIN DISC" CLUTCH F- STEERING GEAR PUMP N ® G- "FLOMAX" CENTRIFUGAL PUMP

-AIR SUPPLY MAIN ENGINE 100 P.S.I. CRANKSHAFT

MAIN ENGINE POWER TAKE-OFF — PLAN VIEW FIG. NO. 8

Maintenance - Drum Capacity (each) : 400 Fathoms 3/4" Wire. The absence of a water cooling system in these engines represented an added advantage when The advantages of hydraulic machinery are well considering the amount of work involved when known. The infinitely variable speed and the super- "winterising" the ship. ior control are in practice much appreciated as when "inching" in the otterboards for example. Engine Room Heating - The reversing feature provided is often a great as- The amount of heat dissipated by these air cooled set specially when considering the price paid for it. engines was considered an advantage, as they This particular winch has an advantage not usually serve as heaters during the cold season. found on small hydraulically driven winches. The conical friction clutches in lieu of the usual dog clutches permit adjustment to the trawl warps with- 5- HYDRAULIC MACHINERY (Hyd. Press. 1,600 out stopping the winch while heaving in. P.S.I.) a) Trawl Winch. This winch, originally designed for a lighter duty , Make and Model: "Swann" Series No. BT-337-M. has been increased in strength and size to copE Type: Two drum combination beam trawl winches. with specific requirements considering that thE Rating: (Total @ Mid-drum): 13,800 Lbs. @ 200 following fishing gear was going to be used: No F.P.M. 41 trawl net and 1,200 lbs. 54" x 114" otterboards, Mike Waters and Marcel Goulet 79 b) Topping Winch. 2- ENGINE S.W. COOLING SYSTEM (See Fig. 9) Make and Model: "Swann" Series No. 72 This system is made of cupro-nickel tubing with Rating (full drum): 2,100 lbs. @ 180 F.P.M. welded bronze fittings. It will be noticed that the Drum Capacity: 250 Ft. 1/2" Wire discharge water can be fed directly to either one of c) Fish Pump the two sea chests "A" and "B", and that the con- Make and Model: "Swann" 8 ,, Fish Pump ventional overboard discharge is eliminated. Rating: 240 Tons per hour. For summer operation, water is normally taken from d) Power Block. sea chest "A" and returned to sea chest "B". For Make and Model: "Marco" No. 31A 2,300 G.R. winter operation, the water can be entirely or in part Rating: @ 1,000 P.S.I. @ V2 Radius: 2,900 Lbs. returned to the same sea chest as it is being taken Block Capacity: 41 ,, Circumference of compact web. from, to prevent blocking by ice. A baffle is fitted in each sea chest to force a circulation in this area so PIPING SYSTEMS keeping a more uniform temperature of the water within the sea chest and preventing a direct return of the 1- HYDRAULIC SYSTEMS discharged water back to the suction line. a) Hydraulic Deck Machinery. Seamless black steel pipe (extra heavy on pressure side and std. on return lines) and "Anchor" SAE 3- FUEL OIL SYSTEM (See Fig. 10) flanges with "0" rings are used on this system. After bending and welding, the pipes were pickled The presence of water in fuel oil is known to be to insure cleanliness. In addition, all pipes were a frequent cause of trouble on board fishing vessels. hammered during the flushing period in order to free Particular attention has been given here to a system all remaining particles that could eventually become by which settling and draining of water could be loose due to vibration when in operation. easily controlled. b) Steering Gear. Hydraulic steel tubing with "Flodar" fittings seal- a) Bunker Tanks. ed with nylon tape are used on this system. Once The bunker tanks have their drain line located 1" the pipe fitter has learned the exact technique in from the bottom while the F.O. suction line is 9" assembling this combination, the system has proven higher. Since that, with this arrangement, the tanks to be clean and leakproof. cannot be emptied by the F.O. transfer pump, a

ORIFICE

"Alt

TO STERNTUBE •. ENGINE SEA CHEST) HEAT EXCH. — I -II 1

MAIN ENGINE S,W. COOLING FIG. NO. 9 80 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE

VENT VENT (1

OVERFLOW DISCH. FLOAT VALVE

OIL LEVEL

r- RELIEF VALVE SET AT 15 RS.I. D. S. TANK 14f_F_I_TER

30 G.RH . PUMP IN 71 I MAIN STORAGE STORAGE ENGINE TANK -0 TANK

FILTER

DRAIN F.O. HEA1 NIF.07 RETURN) SUPPLY TO M.E. EXCHANGER DRAIN LINE

SIMILAR I? &S. FUEL OIL SYSTEM FIG. NO. 10

portable hand pump is supplied to completely drain chamber. It is believed that in this way, if the the tank when required for cleaning, inspection, ball check terminal located underneath it does not etc. . . close the terminal properly, or if it leaks slightly, the volume of water passing the vent opening as b) Daily Service Tank. the ship rolls, will be in insufficient amount to This 60 gal. cylindrical tank is set up vertically. overflow into the bunker tanks. It is kept constantly full up to the float valve level ("McDonnell" No. 347 ST) located on top. d) F.O. Heat Exchanger. temperature in The constant running 30 G.P.M. pump ("Webster" With the "G.M." engine, the F.O. the return line will become too high if re-circulated No. 35197-5) which feeds the oil from either stor- tank. A 3" dia. tube is laid down age tank to the D.S. tank is fitted with a relief valve in a small D.S. in one of the bunker tanks and acts as a heat ex- set at 15 P.S.I. The tank being vertical and con- returning to the D.S. tank. stantly kept full acts as an efficient settling reser- changer for the F.O. voir. The drain is located at the bottom of the tank e) Electronics and Navigation Aids. but the suction line extends half way up where The console incorporating the various controls for water will not be present unless its quantity in the the engine, steering gear, etc. . . extends the whole tank exceeds 30 gals. width of the wheelhouse. c) Bunker Tank Air Vent. (See Fig. 11) The following navigation aids are provided: On this vessel the two after bunker tank air vents Loran: "Furuno" Micro Loran — Model LJ-11 cannot be located higher than 28" from the main Echo Sounder — Fish Finder: "Simrad" E-H-2-A deck. This implies the possibility that they will Sonar: "Simrad" SK-2A be entirely flooded in a rough weather condition. Radar: "Decca" D-202 A specially designed vent incorporates a small Radio Telephone: "Marconi" CN-86 Fernand Paul-Hus 81

AIR PIPE VENT VENT TERMINAL FROM "ZORN" F.O. TANK

OIL FUEL AIR PIPE SURGE CHAMBER FIG. NO. !I

CLOSING REMARKS although the owners report their general satisfaction Our original intention when ideas for this paper with its seaworthiness and equipment. notes concerning the were conceived, was to inclu.de As actions speak louder than words, may we close actual operation of the vessels. with this news. Despite the unfamiliarity of their As the first vessel has in fact only been in serv- new ship, the crew of "Delivery # 2" have in their ice for six weeks, no firm conclusions can be drawn, first 22 days, landed close to 2,000,000 lb. of herring.

Key to Figure 5 (page 75) A— Ship service generator, stand-by unit. B— Fuel oil transfer pump, to D.S. tank. C— Engine remote control. D— Lub. oil reserve tank. E— Electric fan. F— Engine driven air compressor. G— Main propulsion engine. H— Bilge pump. J— Pump drive case with three (3) flanged mounted hydraulic pumps• K— Auxiliary air compressor. L,— Steering gear pump. M— Hot water tank. N— Potable fresh water pressure tank with pump. 0— 86 P— Sanitary salt water pressure tank with pump. Q— Hydraulic oil tank. R— Airflex clutch. S— Workbench. T— Hot air heater. U— Electric converter for radar. V— Ship service generator, working unit. W— General service pump. X— Starting batteries. Y— Echo sounder transducer. Z— Switchboard. AA— Asdic sonar. BB— Fuel oil transfer pump (Bunker)

Wooden Trawlers

by D. A. Eisenhauer President, Atlantic Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Lunenburg, N.S.

ABSTRACT Great advances in design improvements of fishing vessels and in techniques of catching fish have been made in recent years. The spotlight of this improvement has centered on steel construction with the advent of stern trawling and the new equipment used for this type of fishing. Little publicity has been given to improvements that have taken place in the design and equipment of wooden fishing ships. Because wood is the old traditional material of building ships, there is a tendency to feel that wooden construction is becoming antiquated. This paper disputes such thinking with particular reference to trawlers in the 90 to 125 foot size. The first successful wooden trawlers operating out of Eastern Canadian ports were built during the 1940's. The successes of these first trawlers started a building activity that lasted for about ten years. The scallopping activities of the last few years, coupled with the introduction of new Federal Subsidy Regulations, started a building activity in 1962 that has seen the launching of many new modern wooden trawlers. Many improvements are evident in modern wooden construction. Designs are usually executed by competent naval architects. Timber framing has increased in size and is closer spaced than in early construction. Engine horsepower has more than doubled, necessitating better timber fastening. Since trawlers are operating in deeper water, winches and deck gear are heavier, requiring more sturdy deck framing. Formica gives pleasing interior accomodations with low maintenance costs. Electrical systems have increased capacity with alternating current in common use. War- time advances in electronic navigational aids have been put to commercial use in fishing. Ftsh holds are being lined with aluminum or fibre glass materials backed by foam insulation to improve the quality of the fish landed. Capital investment required for wooden trawler construction is much less than that required for a comparable size trawler of steel construction. Available operational and maintenance statistics show that the repairs to wooden trawlers, even ones that are ten to twenty years old are not as great as comparable expenditures to steel trawlers. It is difficult to compare the total receipts of various trawlers because of the different species landed. It is apparent, however, that the total receipts of wooden trawlers are equivalent to steel trawlers. Available statistics show net returns to capital cost greatly in favour of wooden construction in trawlers of the 90 to 125 foot category, 84 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE

The favourable reports of the economic operation of wooden trawlers establish that this type of construction is not only feasible but desirable, and that wooden trawlers will continue to have a very definite place in the Canadian Atlantic offshore fishing industry. The author would like to acknowledge the information and assistance provided by Mr. J. F. Meisner, Manager, and Mr. R. G. Smith, Secretary, of Atlantic Shipbuilding Company Limited.

INTRODUCTION In the midst of all the attention to steel shipbuilding, much of the recent activity in wooden ship- The last ten years have seen tremendously in- building has been passed over. Fishing on the Cana- creased activity in the fishing industry throughout dian Atlantic Coast has traditionally been built up the world. New plants, new processes, and new prod- around the individual entrepreneur. Until fairly recent ucts, which a few years ago would have been thought years, most of the fishing vessels were owned by an of as wild and risky dreams, have come into being. individual or by small groups while the fish processor To support this increased production, the ships that owned only a small percentage of individual ships. harvest fish have increased dramatically in numbers, Today, with the need to land sufficient fish to main- sizes and complexity of equipment. Much of the in- tain the larger processing plants, the company-owned creased activity in harvesting fish has taken place fleet of trawlers has emerged. However, there are on the fishing grounds of the Western North Atlantic. still a number of individual and group owners. It is The huge factory ships that have appeared on the difficult for these people to finance the more expen- Canadian Atlantic Coast have the ability to catch sive and larger steel trawlers. These groups must be and process fish in quantities that were unheard of more conscious of profits because, if their individual by traditional fishing methods. These developments ship operates at a loss, they lose all; whereas if an have brought about a necessary and urgent reassess- individual trawler in a company-owned fleet operates ment of ships and equipment used in the Canadian at a loss, it need not have too adverse an effect on Atlantic offshore fishing industry. that company's over-all operations. The type of trawler that these groups and individuals can finance more In the early 1950's new steel side trawlers built easily than any other is the wooden trawler in the 90 in Britain and Europe were introduced to the Canadian to 125 foot class. fishery. These were followed later by greatly improved diesel powered side trawlers constructed under new and improved federal government assistance. Most There are definite factors that limit the size of the recent modern Canadian steel trawlers have of wooden offshore draggers. It is not feasible to con- been built in Canada, although a few still come from struct an offshore dragger under 90 feet in length European countries. More recently, emphasis has because of the winter weather conditions on the North been put on development of the steel stern trawler. Atlantic. It is not now considered practical to build Changes in fishing have extended not only to the type in excess of 125 feet in length due to the limiting of ship being used, but also to the equipment used in sizes of timbers and the "working" encountered in the ships. wood construction.

The spotlight on all these changes has centred on Wooden ships of this size can be built in many steel construction. What has happened to the old tra- yards along the Atlantic seacoast. They have proved ditional materials of construction? Has the wooden to be not only practical, but their economic operation trawler been antiquated, or is there a place for it in has been better than the same size trawler built from today's fishing operations? Are wooden trawlers eco- other materials. They can be readily repaired and nomically feasible? What is the future of wooden con- maintained in most ports, whereas special facilities struction? The answers to these questions and other are required to service the steel trawler. One can aspects of wooden trawlers are discussed in the terms safely assume from the present day operation of wood- of the layman within the scope of this paper. en trawlers, that there will be a need for them in the D.A. Eisenhauer 85

Canadian Atlantic offshore fisheries for many years major factor in her failure. Insufficient power and im- to come. proper fishing gear, combined with an inexperienced crew, proved too much of a handicap. The Geraldine HISTORICAL was soon converted to other uses. Following World The year 1891 saw the birth of the North Atlantic War II, this ship, renamed the Mahaska, was repowered Beam Trawling industry when the wooden yawl, "Re- with a 400 horsepower diesel engine and again con- solute", was built at Essex, Mass. She was 85 feet verted to trawling. She finished her career as a suc- long with a 22 foot beam and a depth of 9.6 feet, with cessful trawler. a fish hold capacity of 2,500 cubic feet and was op- With erated by a British crew. The operation was appar- stringent licensing restrictions in effect ently unsuccessful as were most other attempts at and with the early problems experienced in trawling, it trawling in this area prior to 1904. was fourteen years before another large wooden trawler was built in Eastern Canada. However, the The building of the Spray, a steel hulled steam developments made by other nations during this inter- trawler, at Fore River, Mass., in 1904 signalled the val proved valuable and when the next start was made beginning of successful trawling operations and a in 1942, it set off a revolution that was to see the number of similar boats soon followed. Some schooners virtual elimination of dory fishing within the next were converted by installing diesel power and remov- fifteen years. ing topmasts and bowsprits. Prior to 1918, there is no evidence of any serious attempt to construct a wooden Starting with the Sea Nymph, a Halifax based hull especially for trawling. A major deterrent to the trawler that went into operation in 1943, a number of wooden hull was the widespread use of coal burning wooden trawlers of varying sizes were built in the steam power which was more suited to steel hulls. next few years. Today, twenty-two years later, the wooden hulled Sea Nymph, now renamed By the end of World War I, the diesel engine had Point Pleas- ant, is still actively trawling out of Louisburg. Prob- developed to such a degree that it was receiving wide ably the best known trawlers in those early years acceptance and thus began the development of the were the Cape and modern wooden trawler. Beginning in 1918 and con- North Cape LaHave, built in 1945 at Meteghan for Lunenburg owners. These 125 foot tinuing into the 1920's a number of wooden trawlers trawlers were immediate successes and are still in were built in New England and operated successfully efficient operation today. Undoubtedly their success, on Georges Bank and along the Nova Scotian coast. both in landing fish and producing profits for their Development in the Canadian sector of the fisher- owners, was a major influence to other fishing in- ies was considerably delayed due to pressure from terests who rapidly turned to trawling as the most both inshore and offshore fishermen who looked upon efficient method of fishing. "Beam Trawling" as a serious menace to their liveli- hoods. There was widespread belief that trawling Practically all of the large wooden trawlers built operations would ruin the feeding grounds and thus in the 1945 to 1955 period have proven successful destroy the fish population. and are, in fact, still in operation. No new steel trawlers were built in Canada during this period, although a number of new and used ones were imported from A few British built steel trawlers were leased by Great Britain and Europe. By contrast, although suc- Canadian interests for operation out of Canadian At- cessful in catching fish, these became in many cases lantic ports. Little attention was given to wooden financial burdens to their owners. trawler construction in Canada prior to World War II. In a few known instances, the ventures were unsuc- The next development in wooden trawlers began cessful as in the case of the Geraldine built in 1928 with the increased interest in deep sea scallop fish- for Lunenburg interests. This trawler, approximately ing about 1955. During the 1955 to 1960 period, a 110 feet in length and powered by a 280 horsepower number of wooden boats in the 80 to 90 foot range diesel engine was not successful. In retrospect, it were built and operated successfully as scallop drag- is now recognized that lack of knowledge was the gers on Georges Bank. 86 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE

With the introduction of new Federal Subsidy in length, had a normal breadth of 20 to 21 feet. The Regulations in 1962, a substantial building boom modern wooden trawler of 100 feet in length has a began in both wood and steel. It is the wooden hulls, breadth of approximately 24 feet. In this size ship, built during this period, that are dealt with in the fol- the architect tries to achieve a roll period of six and lowing sections of this paper. one-half seconds. It is felt that this roll period gives an easier deck on which to work. Some of the older trawlers with a five second roll period are considered IlVIPROVEMENTS IN SPECIFICATIONS to be much too quick for good working conditions. A roll period over six and one-half seconds makes a (a) H uils boat too tender. Today's wooden trawlers are con- In the early years of wooden fishing ship constructed using heavier, closer spaced timbers with struction, a prospective owner would visit a ship- more fastenings than were used in the early trawlers. yard, verbally describe the ship he wanted built, and Deck beams have gone up in size and are spaced the master builder at the yard would proceed to shape closer together. The scallop dragger normally has a wooden half model that he felt conformed to the heavier deck beams than the ground fish trawler, the owner's description. After showing the half model to former being of 8" by 8., on 20" centres and the lat- the owner and making the necessary rectifications, ter being 7" by 7" on 26" centres. the builder then took the lines from the half model and started construction. Timber sizes and the amount Early wooden trawlers had lines and deck layout of fastenings were left to the discretion of the builder. that bore considerable resemblance to fishing schoon- The prospective owner would have chosen his builder ers. One of the first additions made to the hulls was on the basis of the success of previous ships that that of a whaleback with 4 to 5 foot head room under had been constructed in the builder's yard. the beams. Present day trawlers have full working head room under the beams, giving additional space A few yards today are prepared to work in a simi- for the storage of gear and for the repair and main- lar method with the exception that, after the half mod- tenance of fishing gear while at sea. Early trawlers el has been finalized, the builder must be prepared used stern posts approximately 12" x 12" in size to submit construction drawings for approval by vari- which ran from keel to horn timber. Today, because ous agencies before he is permitted to begin con- of increased power and increased stress and strain struction. on the ship, stern posts are approximately 24" by 24" The normal procedure today is for the prospective running all the way from keel to deck. Rail heights owner to begin negotiations with a shipbuilding com- have increased approximately six inches to give bet- pany who will then engage a firm of naval architects ter deck working conditions. The wood hatch coaming to submit a design for consideration. If alterations of older trawlers have disappeared and are being re- are desired, final drawings are prepared by the ar- placed with prefabricated steel ones. chitect. It is then necessary to submit detailed plans, including inboard profile, construction sections, gen- These increased hull specifications have been eral arrangements and fastening details to the Board required due to increased horsepower, heavier deck of Steamship Inspection for approval. If the ship is equipment, and demands for increased speed. Early to be financed through a Provincial Loan Board, simi- trawlers operated in the maximum speed range of lar drawings must be approved by this agency. eight knots, while today's modern trawlers operatE in speeds up to thirteen knots. The architects who design today's hulls have cakulated performance data paying particular atten- (b) Interiors and Accommodations tion to the underwater hull shape, entry angles and Interior accomodations in early trawlers werE stern contours. Tank tests are performed in some generally finished in V-groove sheathing. Later, thE cases. sheathing was replaced with plywood. Today's mod Most of the wooden offshore scallop draggers ern wooden trawlers have the accommodations finishe and fish trawlers built in the last few years have been in formica. Formica was first applied to chipboard in the 90 to 125 foot range. Early trawlers, 100 feet but this was found to be unsatisfactory because fill D.A. Eisenhauer 87 chipboard was subject to curl and it was difficult for have been erected, a steel engine seating is fabri- fastenings to hold in this material. Today, the for- cated to conform to the frames and is through screw mica is applied by a heat process to half-inch or bolted to frames and floor timbers. The engine bed three-quarter-inch Douglas fir plywood. Galleys are is then built as an integral part of this steel seating. completely finished in formica. Concealed fastenings Because of improved specifications of the mod- are used in the more modern boats. Washrooms are ern day diesel engine, it is not necessary to main- lined with formica and are fitted with stainless steel tain a full-time watch in the sinks with both hot and cold running water. engine room. Engine room watches are still operated on the same basis In older trawlers, it was customary to fit one as in early trawlers, but the duty watch performs other toilet that was operated by a hand pump. Today, there duties in the ship and does not spend full time in the are at least three toilet rooms, each with basins and engine room. Therefore, most of the modern wooden mirrors. Toilets are operated from a domestic pump. trawlers have the main propulsion engine controlled Usually, two of the toilet rooms are fitted with shower from the wheelhouse. Duplicate sets of gauges and enclosures. The captain normally has his own complete instruments are located in the wheelhouse, as well bathroom with toilet, basin, and shower. Separate as all starting and operating controls. A few of the staterooms for mates, cooks, and engineers are now more recent trawlers are operating with variable pitch commonly provided. Since most of the trawlers are now propellers. There is some reluctance because of price provided with hot water heating, it is customary to to install variable pitch propellers. Those using such install oil clothes drying lockers, both forward and propellers are reporting higher efficiencies in towing aft. The crew's food receives more care and attention and running than is possible with the standard fixed today than in the past with better storage facilities blade propeller. and walk-in refrigerators being fitted. The demand for increased fuel capacity has gone up partly because of the increased horsepower in both The old wood framed wheelhouse window is main engine and auxiliaries and also because the being replaced with a metal framed window. The op- trawlers are steaming for longer distances than was ening windows are raised and lowered by hand crank. required some years ago. An example of this has been At least one window has an electrical heating coil the discovery of a for winter use. sizeable scallop bed off the Vir- ginia coast. Scallop draggers are now regularly run= ning to this location, many miles farther than the (c) Propulsion old fishing grounds of Georges or St. Pierre Bank. Diesel engines have always been the most popular method of powering wood trawlers. There has (d) been a marked preference for the slow turning heavy- Deck Machinery and Equipment Winches today are heavier than on early trawlers. duty type of engine. A few of the early trawlers tried They are required due to the increased propulsion unsuccessfully to use two or more light high speed horsepower and increased depth of fishing, with the diesel engines coupled to one output shaft. A few of consequent increase in horsepower required to drive these installations still exist, but because of the re- the winch. Many of the early trawlers were fitted with quirements for high horsepower and more fuel capac- electrically operated winches. Some were directly ity without reducing the capacity of the fish hold, connected to a diesel engine, others incorporated it has been necessary to go to medium speed range direct drives or chain drives with torque converters. engines operating at from five to twelve hundred r.p.m. Today, most of the new steel trawlers are being fit- Early trawlers were equipped with approximately 280 ted with hydraulically operated winches. Some of the horsepower engines, while today, many of the 100 to wooden trawlers are starting to use hydraulically op- 110 footers are equipped with 800 horsepower units. erated winches, but most are using winches that are Engine seating in the early ,,trawlers followed driven by roller chains from the engine room. Driving the method of engine seating in schooners. It was power for the winch in some instances is through a sufficient to mount the light horsepower engine on power take-off on the front end of the main engine, wooden engine beds. Today, after the wooden frames but the usual method is by a separate diesel in the 88 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE engine room. Only ten years ago, it was common prac- generator installed for driving from the winch engine tice to fit a 60 to 100 horsepower winch engine. To- or main propulsion engine. Better quality wiring in- day, most of these engines are 150 to 180 horsepower stallations with floodlights and strong searchlights, incorporating a reversing gear box. Friction clutches as well as additional electronic equipment have all are preferred to jaw clutches on scallop draggers be- added to the electrical load. Galleys of the early cause of the ease of engaging and disengaging. The trawlers were fitted with coal or oil burning ranges. main shaft of the winch is fitted with two small cargo Today's AC systems incorporate commercial electric winches in place of the outboard nigger heads in or- ranges. der to handle the rakes on deck. These cargo winches were originally mechanically controlled, but some of (g) Plumbing, Heating, and Ventilation the more recent units have pneumatic controls. Today's plumbing and sanitary installations are much improved over the early trawlers. Formerly, only Deck bollards have increased in diameter from one washroom was used with a single toilet and basin 8 to 22 inches using much heavier pins. It was found with a cold water tap. Today, there are two or three that the larger diameter bollard gave longer life to washrooms with toilets and hot and cold running wa- the increased diameter warp that has become common ter. Some of these washrooms are fitted with showers. for deep water fishing. Gallows had to be redesigned There is a domestic water pressure system elimi- and made much stronger because of the heavier gear nating the requirement of pump operated toilets. that was being handled in deep water fishing and scallop dragging. The gallows are commonly mounted Most of the present day heating systems incor- on a thick steel plate bolted through a heavy wooden porate a hot water boiler with radiators throughout pad located over the shelf with steel plates fitted the accomodations and in the wheelhouse. Sometimes under the shelf to take up the strain of the through unit heaters are fitted in the crew's accommodations. bolts. Recently, trawlers fitted with AC electrical systems have incorporated electric heaters in certain areas. (e) Electronic Equipment Wartime developments instigated tremendous The accommodations are desi gned with more thought changes in electronic trawler equipment. Early traw= for the comfort of the crew and include better ven- lers were fitted with a radio telephone, a shallow tilation systems. The larger horsepower engines re- water depth sounder and a direction finder. After World quire a larger flow of air to the engine room with con- War II, the Loran became available and for about fif- sequent enlarged ventilation systems for the engine teen years after the war was over, trawlers were fit- room. ted with the Loran APN4 and APN9. These units have now been superseded with the new DX Navigator. (h) Masts and Rigging Most of the more modern offshore trawlers today are It was common in early trawlers for the masts are fitted with one or two radio telephones, two radar to be made of wood. These masts required mainte- units, two deep water sounders with fish finding fea- nance and frequent replacement. Since dragger gal- ture, one DX Navigator and automatic pilot, and a lows are commonly braced through the masts and rig- public address system for use through the ship, as well ging, it became desirable to replace the wooden masts as on deck. with steel. The mast sits on deck on heavy steel seating. The steel seating is located over close laid (f) Electrical Equipment wooden beams located over or adjacent to a bulk- The first trawlers were fitted with 32 Volt DC head. Masts on a scallop dragger are subject to heavy systems. As the electrical demand grew, later trawlers shock loads, therefore bracing and stays have been installed 110 Volt DC systems. Today, some modern increased in strength. ships are fitted with 110 Volt AC systems. The generator capacity for the DC systems which was for- (i) Fish Holds merly at about 3 to 5 kilowatt is now in the range of Fish holds are just starting to receive major de- 71/x and 10 kilowatt. AC systems have at least one sign considerations. In most ships, wooden ceiling 30 kilowatt diesel driven generator with some in- creates the outside walls of the hold. The bottom is stallations using a second unit and having a standby normally the concrete ballast floor and the stanchions D.A. Eisenhaver 89

and penboards are from wood. During the last fifteen while the 125 foot dragger incorporating high quality years, aluminum penboards and metal stanchions have specifications could cost about $450,000.00. The become common. Some trawlers have aluminum mesh above prices and all prices referred to in this sec- fitted over the ceiling and bulkheads in order to keep tion are builder's contract prices without reference the fish away from the wood and to allow a layer of to subsidies. ice to accumulate between the fish and the wood. An experiment was made in at least two trawlers with As a sample breakdown of prices, consider a aluminum lined fish holds with cool air passages be- dragger of high quality specifications in the 100 to hind the aluminum. The experiment was moderately 105 foot range. The total price of the dragger can be successful, but very costly. Many of the recent in- anticipated at $300,000.00. stallations have aluminum linings with foam insulation backing the aluminum against the hull. This gives Cost of the hull, superstructure, steering equip- a surface that is easily cleaned and helps maintain ment, life saving apparatus, and normal hull ancil- an even temperature in the hold. lary equipment would likely be $100,000.00. At today's prices wood and fastenings approximate $200.00 A hold lining installation that is increasing in per thousand f.b.m. in place while the labour and popularity consists of a foam lining covered with fi- overhead approximates $450.00 per thousand f.b.m. breglass reinforced polyester resin. The resin nor- in place. The normal 100 to 105 foot dragger requires mally has a white pigment impregnated in it and is about 100,000 f.b.m. of wood so that this part of the very resistant to puncture from hand tools that may construction would total $65,000.00. The balance of be used in the hold. Aluminum or wooden penboards $35,000.00 is included in the installation of steering are used in conjunction with this method of lining. equipment, life saving equipment, and other hull ap- Much thought is now being given to labour saving paratus. systems for handling the fish in the holds especially The main propulsion equipment comprising a in the unloading operation. Since these systems are medium speed engine of 700 to 800 horsepower pro- being treated more fully in another paper, this subject pellor, shaft, and under water gear, fuel tanks and will not be explored any further here. mechanical installation required for the operation of the propulsion unit would be in the vicinity of The scallop dragger does not require as much $100,000.00. hold space as the ground fish trawler. The hold in this type of ship is commonly divided into two areas. Assuming top quality accommodations of formica The area under the aft hatch is devoted to ice storage prebonded to 3/4 inch plywood with plastic backing, and the storage of the scallops as they are caught. The modern galley, three washrooms and showers, the forward section, up to now, has been used as a work cost could be $35,000.00. room for maintaining and repairing the fishing gear. Deck machinery including heavy bollards, gal- Since much of the recent fishing has been done off the lows, a large deck winch with a separate diesel en- Virginian coast, the warmer climatic conditions are gine drive and the installation of this equipment necessitating experimental use of this forward hold would cost about $30,000.00. section as a processing room to escape the sun's rays and to develop processing methods which in- The electronic equipmént, that is, radio tele- corporate cooling in order to return a better product phones, depth sounders, fish finders, automatic pi- to Canadian ports. lot, and public address system would cost approximately $7,500.00. This assumes that the radar and DX COST ELEMENTS Navigator units are procured on a lease basis, the References in this paper are applicable to wooden most popular method of acquiring these units. trawlers in the 90 to 125 foot range. A wide range of prices exists depending upon the specifications re- The cost of the electrical system does not vary quired by the owner. The smaller type dragger can be a great deal between the more modern DC installa- purchased at a price starting at about $200,000.00 tions or the AC installations. Cost of either system 90 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE would run approximately $15,000.00 and would in- land, in May of 1965. The governments of New Bruns- clude in the case of a DC system the generating units wick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia have with auxiliary shaft generator, batteries, the complete prepared operational reports on boats based along wiring and fixture installation, as well as floodlights their shores which contain considerable interesting and searchlight. In the case of the AC system, a 30 information. The report published jointly by the Nova Kilowatt diesel generating set with a second 30 kilowatt Scotia Department of Fisheries and the Economics standby generator operated from the deck engine and Service of the Department of Fisheries of Canada en- an electric range would be included. titled "Costs and Earnings of Selected Fishing Enter- prises" in Nova Scotia in 1964 contains valuable information of The probable cost of the modern plumbing, heat- information. However, the operational ing, and ventilation system is likely to be $7,500.00, the new steel diesel trawlers could not be consid- and of the masts, booms, chain plates, and rigging ered conclusive because, when the statistics for about $5,000.00. the report were gathered, these trawlers had been in operation for too short a period of time. If the above costs apply to a scallop dragger, then an overall reduction of some five per cent could One interesting table included in this report on be expected if the ship were to be rigged for ground the Nova Scotian operations which was published in fish trawling. July, 1965, outlines the average receipts, expenditures, and net revenues for 1964. This table com- COMPARATIVE OPERATING ECONOMIES pares 96 foot scallop draggers of 490 horsepower, thirteen year old 115 foot wooden trawlers of 576 It is an extremely difficult task to assemble horsepower, and 119 and 120 steel trawlers of 650 meaningful figures of operating costs and efficiencies horsepower. As stated previously, these figures can- of different sizes and types of trawlers fishing out not be considered conclusive. However, they can at of Canadian Atlantic ports. Operating cost and pro= least be considered indicative. The following table fit figures per pound of fish and operational effici- is developed from information given in the Nova Sco- ency figures are available, but since these do not tia report as well as from information in our relate to the species of fish being caught, it is vir- own records on the performance of four wooden scal- tually impossible to interpret the results of any one lopers built in our Mahone Bay, N. S. shipyard. particular type of trawler compared with another type. Much economic information was presented at the Con- It is interesting to note the relative ages of the ference on the Design, Construction, and Operation boats under consideration as against their average of Small Fishing Vessels in St. John's, Newfound- operational expenditures. It is apparent that, because

COMPARATIVE AVERAGE OPERATIONAL FIGURES

Average Total Total Net Net % Net Return Cost Size and Type H.P. Age Receipts Expenditures Retums Earnings to Capital

96 ft. Wooden Scallop 490 3 161,545 70,847 90,698 8,892 5.35 Draggers years 108 ft. Wooden Scallop 750 1 — 2 239,250 92,737 146,513 11,298 6.25 Draggers years 115 ft. Wooden Fish 576 13 192,156 92,790 99,366 10,353 3.44 Trawlers years 119-120 ft. Steel Fish 650 1 — 2 195,149 96,750 98,399 4,415 1.06 Trawlers years D.A. Eisenhauer 91 of the lower cost of construction of the wooden traw- One area where substantial improvement will ler and because of the lower cost of maintenance, soon be achieved is in the control of deck machinery repairs and operation, these trawlers are not only from the wheelhouse. This is presently being studied feasible but more desirable from the economic point and the introduction of such controls should come of view. very rapidly. Steel trawlers out of the United King- Some authorities argue that the life of the steel dom ports are now so equipped. It is anticipated that trawler is much greater than that of the wooden traw- reasonable simplicity can be attained in the devel- ler and that the repairs to the older trawlers built opment of these controls. from steel are comparably less than to those built from wood. The history of the wooden trawlers out Inprovements in interior accommodations have of the Port of Lunenburg disputes such a claim. Re' taken a great forward move in the past decade and pairs to the "Cape North" and "Cape LaHave", future improvement in this area will likely be less which are 125 foot wooden trawlers over twenty years dramatic. old have been minimal. However, both trawlers are maintained in excellent condition. The obsolescence One wooden stern trawler is operating on the coast of 95 feet length. A con- factor is equivalent for the steel and the wooden Canadian Atlantic for the construction of trawler. The useful life of a trawler will be limited tract has just been awarded wooden stern scalloper 108 feet in length. It could by obsolescence before it will be limited by mechan- a well be that the performance of these trawlers would ical or hull factors. Consequently, in the size of open the way for wooden constructed stern trawlers trawler under consideration the wooden constructed to the smaller steel stern traw- unit can be anticipated to have a useful life as long of a size comparable ler. as its counterpart built from steel. When these factors that limit the useful life of a trawler are con- Craftsmen have been developed in many ports sidered in the light of capital cost and operational throughout the years who are able to cope with re- expenditures, it is apparent that economic operation pair and maintenance of this type of craft. Conse- of a wooden trawler is entirely feasible. quently, repair facilities are more readily available to wooden ships than to steel ones. FUTURE TRENDS It is probable that the horsepower limit of the Eastern Canadian fishing interests still exhibit 90 to 125 foot trawler has been reached. To substan- a strong preference for wood construction in the 90 tially exceed the present installed horsepowers would to 125 foot trawler. Profitable economic results are reduce the propulsion efficiency per horsepower to a the determining factors in the future prospects of point where it may not be practical. There will un- any business. In the light of the economic feasibility doubtedly be improvements in electronic equipment of these wooden trawlers, one could safely conclude for both navigating and fish finding and to make any that they will continue to have a very definite place suggestions in this area would be presumptuous. in the Canadian Atlantic Offshore Fishing Industry.

Fish Handling on Board and Fish Unloading Methods

by D.R. Stonely and R.D.B. Hopkins The Atlantic Bridge Company, Ltd., Lunenburg, N.S.

ABSTRACT Methods of storing and unloading fish previously used, on both side and stern draggers, are proving inadequate to meet today's pressing needs for a reduction in labour costs and faster rates of unloading at fish processing plants.

Throughout the world, considerable thought has been applied to these problems with the te- suit that in recent years, several mechanical handling systems have been devised. These have been studied by the authors, and an analysis of relative operating costs is included for three systems currently in use, with projections of costs for one of these when operating in conjunction with two alternative types of additional related equipment. The problems encountered in the storing of fish at sea are outlined, and some specific recommendations are made, as to how the handling of fish and ice might be improved. It is suggested that further study of the basic design of fish holds should be made. Since some new vessels will have the capacity to freeze part of the catch in blocks, some aspects of this method are mentioned. Under the heading "Proposals for Automated Unloading of Fish Holds", three different categories of unloading equipment are considered, and several sketches show possible methods which may be utilized in future. Several types of conveying systems using belt, bucket and flight conveyors, are described. Fish pumping systems of the three main types presently available are discussed, all of which depend upon water entrainment of the fish. These cover the "straight-through" type, those in which the pump impeller is by-passed, and an air-lift system involving the release of air bubbles to activate a syphoning arrangement. This latter type is actually "pumpless", but is included in this group for convenience. Vacuum lift systems are also dealt with, and suggestions are made as to ways in which these could be further developed.

The authors conclude by making an appeal to all those associated with the industry, to give full consideration to the problems of fish handling, at the early design stage of new vessels. 94 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE

STATE OF THE ART eration in the fish hold. Some newer draggers have provision for freezing part of the catch in blocks of The two types of Atlantic offshore ground fishing ice. In Europe, a method of blast freezing fish has vessels, which will be mainly considered in this dis- been tried, but the authors are not aware that this cussion, are (1) conventional side draggers, and (2) method has been used in Canada. stern draggers. Consideration will be confined to vessels which will land all of the fish caught for One company has recently announced its intention processing ashore. Processing at sea has not been to use a method of storing fish packed in ice, in 150- widely adopted in Canada, although the use of so- lb aluminum stacking boxes, in the fish hold. The con- called "factory ships" may be a consideration for tainers to be used are similar to those used in Norway. the future. Up to the present time, it has been considered that the fishing grounds are sufficiently close CURRENT UNLOADING METHODS- to the processing plants not to justify processing at CANADIAN ATLANTIC AREA. sea. Future economic considerations may warrant a change in this thinking. System "A". The most common unloading system presently in use involves placing the fish in barrels or In each of the above categories, the method of drums in the hold, then winching the barrel up through preserving the fish in the fish hold would be one of the hatch, to the level of a man standing in a "pul- the following. pit", who tips them onto a chute. The fish slide down (a) Using ice only; this bar chute and particles of ice are removed by (b) Using a combination of ice and mechanical falling through the bars. cooling; Generally two hatches are unloaded at the same (c) Freezing, in addition to either (a) or (b). time, and the crew for each hatch is: One man as In the case of side draggers, the catch is usually winch operator, one man in the pulpit, sometimes one sorted and eviscerated on the open deck area. Then man on deck, and from two to four men in the fish the fish are thrown into a salt water washing tank, lo- hold. Therefore, the number of men per hatch will cated between the two hatches, and proceed thence, vary from a minimum of four men to a probable maxi- via a dewatering chute, to the fish hold. mum of seven men. In stern draggers, there is generally provision to The unloading rate averages approximately ten transport the fish by chute or belt conveyor, to a shel- thousand pounds of round fish per hour per hatch. ter deck area, where some form of evisceration table System "B". One stern dragger has been in opera- is used. The fish then proceed through washing, and tion for almost two years with a mechanical unloading via chute, belt conveyor, or elevator, to the fish hold. system. A belt conveyor is installed in the bottom of In some vessels, when provision is made for the fish the fish hold, which feeds onto a bucket elevator,per- to enter the fish hold at one end, a horizontal belt manently installed at the forward end of the hold. On conveyor is used in the hold, and plows are arranged entering her home port, a portable transfer conveyor at various points along the conveyor, to plow off the is placed on deck, and the tail or loading end of this fish onto chutes, which carry them to the pens. conveyor is introduced through a hatch in the side of The standard method of storage in the fish hold, the deck house, so as to receive the discharge from in both side and stern draggers, is in pens with the the vertical bucket elevator. The portable deck con- fish surrounded by ice. It is assumed that all readers veyor is arranged on an undercarriage, with a hand- are familiar with the existing arrangement of these operated hoist for varying the discharge height to pens, so that a detailed description is not necessary adjust for variation in deck height, due to tide. here. The use of aluminum or fiber glass lined holds, Two men work in the fish hold removing the pen and aluminum pen boards is favoured today over wood. boards, and allowing the fish to fall onto the belt con- Ice, taken aboard before a vessel sails, is stored veyor. A sustained average unloading rate of 30,000 in several of the empty pens, and shovelled from these pounds of fish per hour, is achieved. The rate could as and when required. Some draggers use partial refri g- be higher, but for the limiting factor of handling the D.R. Stonely and R.D.B. Hopkins 95 fish on the wharf. The system, as installed, is capa- on the day of landing, it is vital to improve the rate ble of unloading at a maximum rate of 50,000 pounds of off loading. Further, in view of the increasing cap- per hour. ital cost of building new draggers, it will become more System "C". A third and more recent method is a important to reduce the turn-around time in port. It may system developed in the U.S.A., and is the source of develop that the larger fleets will be obliged to oper- considerable interest in the Atlantic Provinces. The ate with relief crews in order to keep the vessels at system is similar to one developed in Holland several sea for a maximum number of productive days per year. years ago. A large volume air pump is located on the It is therefore evident that a requirement for faster wharf, with a suction hose introduced into the fish unloading will become increasingly important, not hold. One man in the hold removes the pen boards, and only from the processing point of view, but also from as the fish fall to the floor, they are sucked into the that of the vessel. hose. Large fish are assisted to enter the hose individually, and head first. Possibly one of the factors which has contributed to the reluctance to institute some form of improved On reaching the wharf installation, the fish fall off loading has been the established system, whereby vertically into a tank of water, while the air is di- the crew has to pay for unloading. verted through a screen on one side and enters the air pump. A conveyor transports the fish out of the water While a system of automated unloading may add tank. to the capital cost of a dragger or processing plant, The unit installed in one Canadian plant contains and is borne by the owners, the reduced cost of un- two air pumps, each driven by a 25 H.P. motor. It will loading may be enjoyed by a somewhat transient operate two suction hoses with a combined average dragger crew. Therefore, a revision of the existing unloading rate of approximately 20,000 pounds per normal arrangement may become necessary. hour. (b) Economic Considerations. The following is an Several new stern draggers at present under con- attempt to compare the relative costs of three systems struction for one company will have a built-in un- in use today, and projections of variations of one loading system, consisting of a belt conveyor in the system. Two of the systems, "A" & "Cl", are shore bottom of the fish hold, feeding onto a bucket elevator. based, and are capable of unloading almost any dragger The elevator will be telescopic, so that it can be which may dock where these facilities exist. Systems lowered into the fish hold under a watertight hatch, "C2" & "C3" involve ship borne equipment, designed which is flush with the deck. to complement the shore based equipment. The third system, "B", is dependent on a shore based conveyor REQUIREMENT FOR DEVELOPMENT for maximum unloading rate. However, as the ship borne system discharges fish above deck level, it (a) lncreased Rate of Off Loading. When fish are could, in an emergency, be capable ef equalling the unloaded from a fish hold, using the barrel hoist meth- normal discharge rate, providing the fish can be trans- od through two hatches, the total rate is approximately ferred to shore by chute or barrel hoist, at a rate to 20,000 lb per hour of combined fish and ice. equal the discharge from the fish hold. This rate of unloading produces a net weight of fish per hour, which is only sufficient to keep three For the purposes of this analysis, and since average hand cutting lines in operation. It is dif- many draggers are company owned, the capital cost ficult to be precise here, as the type and size of fish is shown as a full charge against the equipment, and the number of cutters employed on each line ob- whether shore based or installed in the vessel. How- viously will affect the figures: However, several of the ever, if installed in a new vessel, the capital cost larger fish plants in operation today have a fish cut- could be reduced by the percentage amount of subsidy. ting capacity far in excess of the normal unloading Very few existing processing plants would qualify for rate from one dragger. This creates serious problems any assistance in the capital cost of new shore based in the processing room. When only the fish from one off loading equipment, under the Area Development dragger are available to be processed in a large plant, Assistance Plan. 96 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE

Maintenance and repair over a ten-year period alternatively through a hatch carried high in the after have been included, as follows: bulkhead of the fish hold. SYSTEM A 75% of original capital cost. Very little required other than replacement of rope. In future dragger design, the size and location of fish entry hatch should be considered simultane- SYSTEMS B1 86 B2 the fish handling system, so 150% of original capital cost. A ship ously with the design of the of the pens and not borne installation is subject to most dif- as to provide for easy loading or manual off loading ficult working conditions, with little obstruct either a mechanical opportunity for regular care and mainte- system. nance. Some draggers, principally from New Brunswick, SYSTEM 01100% of original capital cost of the shore already have input conveyors, and some recent European based equipment. This system is acces- designs also provide for conveyor systems. Ideally, sible for regular maintenance and repairs. an input conveyor should be located as high in the fish hold as practicable, with provision to plow fish off 02 100% of original capital cost of the shore SYSTEM and deposit them by means of a movable chute, to any based equipment, plus 50% of the capi- location in the hold. tal cost of duct and pipe installed in ten draggers. While the authors would anticipate some basic SYSTEM C3 100% of original capital cost of the shore design problems with the input conveyor arrangement, equipment, plus 50% of the capital cost these should not prove insurmountable for any par- of duct and pipe installed in ten draggers. ticular application, providing the system is engineered at the design stage of the vessel, and not as an after- The percentages chosen to illustrate the follow- thought. ing analysis are subject to change in the light of actual experience. Serious consideration must be given to the basic design of the fish hold, not only to facilitate loading, In Systems Bi 86 B2, the cost is shown for an but also to complement the unloading system. annual total catch of 3 million pounds and 4 million pounds respectively. It may be necessary to depart from the usual shape of the hold, the arrangement of the pens, and even the Power costs are included at 1 cent per horse type of pen boards now in use, in order to achieve power per hour. this, and also provide for easy cleaning. In System 02, the full capital cost of the conveyors, and in System 03, the full capital cost of (b) Ice Conveying. Flake ice is normally stored duct and pipe installed in 10 draggers is included, in several pens in the fish hold, when a dragger goes since it is assumed that this equipment would be in- to sea, from whence it is shovelled, as and when re- stalled as an addition to existing draggers, and would quired. Whether a dragger loads ice from a shore based not be subject to subsidy assistance. plant or manufactures its own ice at sea, it should be possible to handle the ice in a system of screw con- Please refer to comparison chart — APPENDIX "A': veyors which would elevate it from storage, transfer it horizontally, and discharge it onto chutes, which would deposit the ice right where it is required. These ice PROPOSALS FOR AUTOMATED LOADING OF screw conveyors could operate in insulated housings, FISH HOLDS AT SEA. so that the ice would have little tendency to melt be- (a) Fish Conveying. In the case of side draggers, fore discharge. Since the ice stored in the fish hold the fish normally enter the hold through two hatches in many conventional draggers today is the only method in the deck, whereas in stern draggers, the fish can of reducing the temperature in the hold, consideration enter through one or two hatches above the hold, or might be given to the installation of some form of addi- D.R. Stonely and R.D.B. Hopkins 97 tional refrigeration in the hold, to maintain the tem- PROPOSALS FOR AUTOMATED perature at an acceptable level. UNLOADING OF FISH HOLDS Removing fish from a fish hold by mechanical Perhaps it would not be out of place here to means can be achieved in a number of ways, each mention the possibility of storing fish in refrigerated appearing to have both advantages and disadvantages, sea water (R.S.W.), if it can be established that this and no brief is held for any particular method. method would be advisable for the Atlantic fishing industry. The authors suggest that the possibilities of (a) Conveying Systems. One this system might warrant further examination, not system at present in successful operation embodies only for round fish, but also for scallops. The system a belt conveyor running fore and lends itself to the consideration of pumping systems aft on the bottom of the hold, which for off loading, or alternatively, the physical removal discharges fish into a vertical bucket elevator, which, of R.S.W. storage tanks from draggers on entering in turn, carries the fish up to a few feet above the port. upper deck (Fig. 1). From there the fish are transferred ashore by means of a portable shore based conveyor. In such a system, a cover made in sections, (c) Block Freezing. At least one company in New- so that it may be removed a section at a time, should foundland is incorporating the capacity to freeze fish be fitted over the bottom conveyor. This will facilitate in blocks, for up to half the capacity of the vessel, storage of fish in the centre aisle for all but the one in their projected new draggers. Since the details and forward pen space, surrounding the bucket elevator. economics of the system have not been made public, The cover should be positioned to ensure adequate up to the present, the authors will confine comment to clearance around the conveyor, so that it is free to the statement that any automated unloading system run when buried under the fish. No cover should be which might be incorporated into the vessels should be fitted in the one open pen space, adjacent to the designed to handle not only the round fish stored in bucket elevator. ice, but also the frozen blocks. Possibly a system such as the one illustrated in (Fig. 3.) would be ca- At the commencement of unloading, the fish hold pable of doing this. If freezing at sea has merit, why is entered through the elevator hatch, and the topmost would it not be possible to freeze the entire catch at sea, transfer it to a holding cold storage ashore, and pen boards removed from the aisle, allowing the fish only finally process the fish as required? Before en- to cascade onto the exposed conveyor below. With tering the processing lines, the frozen blocks of fish the conveyor and elevator running, the fish will be pass along a thawing conveyor, which now involves automatically discharged above deck level. immersion in warm water. The frozen temperature of the round fish inhibits bacterial growth and appar- It would be normal to progressively unload the ently does not reduce the quality of the final product. fish from the entire length of the centre aisle, and This system would enable draggers to remain at sea thus expose the whole length of the bottom conveyor until the frozen storage capacity of the vessel was before removing any boards from the side pens. filled. If the fish were stored ashore, in the frozen block state, further processing could then be carried For convenience, the bottom conveyor should be out on a planned production schedule. This would tend driven off the tail shaft of the elevator. This neces- to eliminate the present costly practice of having to sitates only one prime mover, which could be located process large quantities of fish as landed, on a virtual at deck level, where maintenance, etc., presents less emergency basis. of a problem.

If the preceding statements appear to be outside Ideally, a variable speed mechanism should be the scope of this paper, the authors' purpose is merely incorporated in the drive, so that the speed can be to draw attention to the fact that some of the newer adjusted to obtain an optimum rate of discharge, de- concepts of fish handling and processing must inevita- pending upon the number of men working in the hold bly affect the whole question of fish handling at sea. or the type and size of fish being handled. 98 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE HEAD OF $ uC KET r LEvATo R 5WCL OS E,D IN S M A L L T3 EC K Hca u5 E

FlSH TRANSF'ER ONi'Q BEL CoNqEyQR7 Qu-r Apoig^Fp FRom SNDRS. I .3 L

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CONVE,yoR RUNNI Ngr FORE AND AFT 1)1SGHARGES INTO BOOT OF VERTICAL BUCKCT F_ LEVAT4R .

FIGURE 1

The construction and type of materials used in The horizontal conveyor could be of the rubber such installations would, of course, vary according to or synthetic belt type. A new type of belt now avail- the designer's preference, and the naval architect's lable, which is fabricated from synthetic duck, makes specification. In all cases, however, certain funda- the belt completely moisture proof, and particularly mental requirements must be met. The conveyor and suitable for this application. A belt conveyor, how- elevator must be of "clean" design, smooth, and with ever, does have the disadvantage of being difficult to as few pockets as possible in which bacteria can clean, particularly on the under side and in the confined breed. They must also be easy to wash down (and space of the fish hold. wash under), light in weight, but at the same time, be robust and reliable. The materials used should be The authors are of the opinion that in many cases non-corrodible in the wet salty environment in which a more satisfactory conveyor for use in the fish hold, they must operate. may be the "Flight Bar" type (Fig. 2,) in which the D.R. Stonely and R.D.B. Hopkins 99 fish are slid along a smooth metal tray, by means of of moving platforms with stationary walls, it may flight bars. For cleaning purposes, the tray could be prove to be an effective elevator. Continuing this hinged along one edge, to enable it to be lifted through thought to a logical conclusion, the flight conveyor 900 for its whole length, thus exposing for cleaning could then return horizontally, close under the fish both the whole of the under side of the tray, with the hold deck head, and drop vertically at the far bulkhead return run of flight bars, and also the fish hold floor. to join onto the original horizontal run. The conveyor In pursuing the flight bar conveyor concept would then be in the form of a continuous loop (Fig. further, it might well be feasible to extend the end of 3). the horizontal run of the conveyor so that it sweeps up into an enclosed vertical trunk, which would dis- If such a conveyor were fitted with a reversing charge the fish above deck level, and thus replace the drive, that portion high in the hold could be used as bucket elevator. The authors are not aware of any the input fish conveyor; the fish would be discharged application where such a system has been tried, but through a series of gates in the bottom of the trough since the vertical section would be, in effect, a series into chutes, which would carry them right into the

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54NSIC FL1GHT B>AR_ C4NyEyOR. FIGURE 2 100 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE

OF E.LEVATOR ENC.LOSEb IN SbetALL DEcK HousE

FI:P1 TRAMS- PER ON -ro BELT PuTABoARD FRom

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FIGURE 3

pens. Distribution of ice could also be effected in the early in the design stage, and the shape of the fish same way. The system would have the advantages of hold developed around the system selected. being both easy to clean and maintain. Access hatches Obviously, if mechanical unloading is installed, to the hold would have to be located, so as to clear it is not fully effective unless every avoidable manual the conveyor system. operation has been eliminated. Therefore, a flat floor When a new fishing vessel is to be built, the across the entire fish hold may not contribute to method of unloading should be decided upon very efficiency. A conveyor system 12 inches high, in- D.R. Stone ly and R.D.B. Hopkins 101 stalled in such a hold, would make it necessary to of about 15°, to ensure that the fish would move onto manually fork up the last 12 inches of fish over the the conveyor without manual assistance (Fig. 4). whole hold area, in order to get them onto the con- In the case of a stern trawler, in which the fish veyor. Logically, the conveyor surface should be hold is aft of the engine room, every effort must be either level with, or slightly below the level of the made to prevent the shaft tunnel from dividing the floor of the hold, and the floor itself should slope hold into sections, which can only be completely upwards on each side of the conveyor, at an angle cleared by manual methods (Fig. 5). It may well be

FIGURE 4 FIsH HOLD FLOOR S- LOPES ON EA c SIDE Oie ReC.E.SSED cENTRAL CoNVEY0

FIGURE 5

SHAFT TUNNEL \ DIVI DES F Is H Moll) AND cREA-res DEEP PENs- H CAA MUT î3E cLEARED By 51-10vELL/Nci- 102 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE

necessary to depart from the normal shape and arrange- water pumps, and can only handle fish if entrained in ment of double-bottom spaces in the fish hold. water, it is necessary to admit fairly large quantities of water to the fish hold, and it is doubtful if the (b) Pumping Systems. Several well-known systems ratio of water to fish, picked up by the suction pipe, incorporate the use of relatively low speed centrif- could ever be better than a 50:50 mixture, and a 70% ugal pumps, but as units of this type are essentially water to 30% fish ratio would seem to be more realistic. 1

1r • h I DivERTED THROU4N VENTuRi -To FRImg THE rtml P

Fl5H PuMP WATER PUMP

FISH AND WATER i< DRAWtq FROM HOLD yî WATER SC H E MAT iC ON LY D‘scHARCIED 1NTo

FIGURE 6 D.R. Stopely and R.D.B. Hopkins 103

Because of the need for even distribution of but in the case of any of the fish pumping systems, water and fish throughout the entire length of the it would appear to be more convenient for the system suction line, these systems are normally capable of to be carried onboard, providing, of course, that cap- handling only smaller fish, such as herring, and are ital outlay and/or space limitations do not render this not practicable for dealing with the larger species impossible. This would render the vessel capable of generally encountered in ground fishing. discharging itself at any port, and also give it the These systems can be divided into two types - added capability, when fishing, of pumping from the those in which the fish actually pass through the nets into the vessel. Admittedly this aspect may be of impeller of the pump (Fig. 6), and those in which the more interest to seiners than trawlers, although fit- impeller is by- passed: the latter type obviously has tings are now available which permit a suction hose the advantage of eliminating the major cause of dam- to be connected to the cod end of a trawl net. age to the fish, although adding extra features, and If it were considered feasible to use a fish pump appearing complicated, compared to the complete on a larger vessel, the slush well would need to be simplicity of the "straight through" type. enlarged quite generously, so as to serve as the pond One system which by-passes the impeller is that from which the pump suction could be taken. A con- developed bythe Fisheries Research Board of Canada, veyor running fore and aft in the bottom of the hold in which fish are alternately deposited on one or the could transport the fish from the pens to the pond. other of two suction strainers. The water, of course, Both the pump suction line and the pipe returning continues through the impeller and is discharged the water to the pond could be built in as permanent through a system of automatic valves, so as to wash fixtures of the vessel (Fig. 10). the fish from the strainer, which was in use during If the pump suction line and the water return line the immediately preceding cycle (Fig. 7). were located at opposite ends of the fish hold, a slop- Another type on the market avoids the use ing trough could be recessed into the floor of the hold, of automatic valves except for one check valve, and so that the returning water could flume the fish into utilizes the water discharged from the pump in the the pond, thus eliminating the need for the more costly manner of an eductor, to remove the fish from a sepa- conveyor (Fig. 11). rating chamber (Fig. 8). (c) Vacuum Lift Systems. Strictly within the realm One system of entrained fish pumping, which does of entrainment pumping, but not generally regarded as not incorporate a centrifugal pump, is the air-lift pump- such, are the vacuum lift systems now available. In ing system, which was also developed by the Fish- these, air is drawn from the fish hold through a suction eries Research Board. pipe, and due to the velocity that this air acquires in This utilizes the principle of raising the level entering the pipe, any adjacent fish become entrained of water in a vertical pipe, by bubbling air through it, and are drawn in with it. from the bottom. In the double "U" tube arrangement At this point, it seems that air entrainment has employed in this device, the open top of the bubbling two advantages over water entrainment systems; First- pipe is kept slightly lower than the level to which the ly, it is not necessary to admit water to the fish hold; water is capable of being lifted by the bubbles, thus and secondly, the system is not dependent upon any allowing the water to flow over the top. The water particular ratio of air to fish, and therefore, as far as flowing from this up-flow pipe is replaced by an equal the suction pipe is concerned, is less selective in amount from the down-flow side of the "U" tube, and the size of fish it can handle. In a water entrainment this, in turn, is replenished by water (with fish en- system, large fish, more or less completely filling trained) syphoned from the fish hold by means of the the bore of the suction pipe, could quite easily in- inverted U bend. This system would appear to have terrupt the pumping process through cavitation, i.e. the advantage of being the least likely to damage the causing a partial vacuum in the line, which a cen- fish (Fig. 9). trifugal pump cannot handle. A similar situation with air entrainment is far less likely to cause any trouble Up to this point, the relative merits of ship borne as the precise purpose of the air pump is to create a or shore based equipment have not been considered; partial vacuum. 104 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE WATER ANID F1S14 Sc ATI ,1)1,5(4KW,Ct EiPVJ SHoRE

FISH '1)-EPOITED ON p s TH RouA H Rum. p

VALVE OPE R AT 11\1_4 DEvicE

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FIGURE 7 D.R. Stonely and R.D.B. Hopkins 105

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e a wirruh.) AND EwTRÀ)Niii) F1511 DRA \i‘h%.1 )r4 n«.»,1 H I)

FIGURE 8 106 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE

FISH FLVME D ONTO CC)NVEydF?,.

WA TE R C oLLECT ED AND R IFTyRnt ED ^, To Ho LL5- 4

cloMfIRIEsS^^ AIP,

WAT ER. ÂND ENTR A1N E t^ ^1.5,- 1-4 DR P) wN IN i o h1 he.

^^ At R F,^V BF3LED/ FIGURE 9 ItiTa RISINC PIPE TN Ro v4H PE.RF70RA7E b C oLL AR. D.R. Stone ly and R.D.B. Hopkins 107

.SIXTiorq coNh,-Œc,1- tot-)

WATER RF:TuRt4 cot\NEcTtoi\l,

FIS- HOLb

REcE5SED coNivEYOR 1)15(1-1AR6ES FlsH itJ -ro CoLLECT/NG POND.

FIGURE 10 108 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE WATER «KETURN FISH UCT1o tJ CoNNECTIOK) CONNEcTON

FI FLUMEgb INTo coLLEcTING POND By RETuRN wATER._

FIGURE 11

Looking beyond the suction line, and considering seal, which "meters" out the fish and ice as each the pumping unit itself, the authors are of the opinion pocket in turn is exposed (Fig. 13). that if the larger species of fish are required to be handled, the more satisfactory system is that in which Although having had no actual experience with the air pump draws from the separating chamber, at this system, it is felt that the rotating seal would which the suction hose terminates, and from which limit its use to small to medium sized fish. the fish fall by gravity into a tank of water, which forms the vacuum seal (Fig. 12). Such a system is un- With new construction designed specifically for likely to cause damage to the fish and, not being unloading by a vacuum lift method, particularly in selective as to size, can handle all fish which can the case of larger vessels, it would be logical for a physically enter the pipe and negotiate any bends. conveyor to be fitted fore and aft in the bottom of the This system has the possible disadvantage that the hold, which feed the fish from the pens right into the fish are wetted and washed upon removal from the base of the suction pipe. This pipe would be built per- hold. This is acceptable when the fi sh are to be proc- manently into the vessel's structure, and extend up essed immediately, but may not be desirable if the to coaming height above the upper deck and be fitted fish are to be iced down. with a weather tight cover. An alternative system does not depend upon a When docked for discharging fish, the cover would tank of water to maintain the vacuum in the separator be removed and the suction hose of the shore based chamber, but instead utilizes a rotating multi-pocketed vacuum unit would be attached in its place (Fig. 14). D.R. Stonely and R.D.B. Hopkins 109

AIR Pvm?ED IrPom CNMW ► DE-P, 7tiRoUGN STRA1hiER.

/ CoNVEyot2 RENtoUES Flsl-I FROM TANK. / W\- AIR AND ENTR,41NED FISH S C HEMA*T i C. ON^.^._,.... .,.., DRAWN INTO SUC:TIUN PIPE.

FIGURE 12 110 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE

c.LOGeNcl OF "SCREEN LIFTS FLOA T ,t,„ND e • 0PENINicl cLE:ANn4c4 t-"OR:T SMOVLD c.LEAR Bs RUc -rto

VAcUUM1 PuMP

FISH FALL FRom ROTATING VALVE

sctitertc ow-Y. AIR ÀMD ENTRlNi FISI4 DRAWN INTo suc_,-not.4 plpLE

FIGURE 13

D.R. Stonely and R.D.B. Hopkins ill

VACUUM-LIFT I-10SE OON N.T H ERE

PISH HO Li)

REcEsselp CoNIN/EY0 Disc HAREs INTO 121i:SE OF MR SUCTIC»4 bUC-7.

FIGURE 14

Perhaps a more sensible, and even cheaper way In the case of the company which is installing of using a vacuum lift system would be to form the unloading equipment in several new stem draggers, it lower end of the built-in suction pipe into a long is significant to record that these systems were added sweep bend, and extend it horizontally to form a con- after the vessel design had been decided upon. They tinuous duct recessed into the full length of the fish will probably not contribute to a reduction in the cost hold floor (Fig. 15). of unloading, but are designed to improve the rate of discharge from the fish hold. A series of covers in the top of this duct would be opened, one at a time, to form apertures through In an era of rapid advances and improvement in which the fish would be drawn. Such an arrangement fishing vessels, fishing technique and equipment, it would eliminate the need for a horizontal conveyor. appears that very little is being done to improve fish handling and storage at sea and off loading. THE NECESSITY FOR A NEW APPROACH AT THE SHIP DESIGN STAGE The authors respectfully submit that these matters It is a sad commentary on an otherwise progres- should be given full consideration at the vessel design sive industry, to relate that up to the time of writing, stage. the systems described in Chapter One constitute the limited attempts which have been made to mechanize The basic shape of the fish hold, the size and fish handling in the Canadian Atlantic offshore fishing location of hatches, etc., must be designed to incor- industry. porate or complement the fish handling equipment. 112 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE VA CUU (Yt --L 1 F I^ 0,SE C,0 NNE C %5 V1 E Ï-,7,E

1` ^ ^^ ^01-D

AIR âlJCïION Z)UC. I' REC.ESSED INTO F I.SE-i HO LD F1-.OC,S R. N C) TZ, ON L'*-/ ONE OP ^^.^h 1*J T ANY "71ME 1NHEN.1 Ul'V LOAD 1N&.

FIGURE 15

Merchant vessels are operating today, transporting The possible results are not only desirable, but coal, ore, grain, sand, etc., where the entire vessel vital for the future of the industry. They are: easier has been designed around the material handling equip- fish handling at sea, better storage at sea, faster and ment. The same forethought must be applied to fish cheaper off loading, and improvement in the quality of handling. landed fish.

APPENDIX A

COMPARISON OF UNLOADING COSTS PER 1,000 LBS. OF FISH

SYSTEM "A" SYSTEM "B" 1SYSTEM "B" 2SYSTEM "C" 1 SYSTEM "C" 2 SYSTEM "C" 3

1. Approximate Shore: $40,000.00 Shore: $40,000.00 Original $12,000.00 $12,000.00 $20.000.00 Ship 10 @ Ship 10 @ Capital $5,000.00 (1/2 paid by (1/2 paid by 2,500.00 - 25,000.00 1,500.00 - 15,000.00 Cost subsidy) subsidy) TOTAL $65,000.00 TOTAL $55,000.00

2. Total Maintenance and @ 75% of @ 150% of @ 150% of @ 100% of @ 100% of @ 100% of Repair for 10 years. above - above - above = above = Shore = 40,000.00 Shore - 40,000.00 3,750.00 18,000.00 18,000.00 20,000.00 @ 150% of @ 50% of Ship = 37,500.00 Ship - 7,500.00 TOTAL $77,500.00 TOTAL $47,500.00

3. Total of 1 & 2 above $8,750.00 Using 50% Using 50% $40,000.00 $142,500.00 $102,500.00 of Capital of Capital Cost Cost $24,000.00 $24,000.00 4. Average Cost per Year to write off in 10 year period. 875.00 2,400.00 2,400.00 4,000.00 14,250.00 10,250.00

5. Assume Total Poundage 20 Million 3 Million 4 Million 20 Million 40 Million Lb. 40 Million Lb. unloaded in one year. Lb. Lb. Lb. Lb.

6. Approx. Horse Power While unloading one vessel Required. 6 H.P. 10 H.P. 10 H.P. 50 H.P. 105 H.P. 100 H.P. 7. Approx. Cost per 1000 lbs. Item 4+ Item 5 x 1000 $0.04375 $0.080 $0.60 $0.20 $0.35625 $0.2565

8. Cost: Direct Labour to Actual Estimated Estimated Estimated Estimated Estimated unload per 1000 lbs. 0.75 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.125 0.125 9. Cost of Power per 1000 lbs. of fish unloaded. 0.003 0.003 0.003 0.025 0.02625 0.025

10. Total Cost (Items 7 + $0.79675 $1.053 $0.853 $0.475 $0.5075 $0.4065 8 + 9) Say 80 cents Say 1.05 Say 85 cents Say 48 cents Say 51 cents Say 41 cents

SYSTEM "A" Barrel Hoists and Chutes. Unloading Rate 20,000 lbs/hr. SYSTEM "B" 1 — Conveyor in Fish Hold and Vertical Bucket Elevator. Unloading Rate 30,000 lbs/hr. Annual Catch 3 Million Lbs. SYSTEM "B" 2 — 11 Ilti li n 11 11 11 11 ti I 11 11 " 4 SYSTEM "C" 1 — Air Suction. Ends of Hoses Lowered Through Hatches. Unloading Rate 20,000 lbs/hr. SYSTEM "C" 2 — Air Suction. Horizontal Conveyors in Fish Holds of 10 Vessels and Suction Pipe Installed to Deck Level. Unloading Rate 40,000 lbs/hr. SYSTEM "C" 3 — Air Suction. Ducting with Entry Ports in Fish Holds of 10 Vessels and Suction Pipe Installed to Deck Level. Unloading Rate 40,000 lbs/hr.

NOTE: Only SO% of vessel installation cost charged to Maintenance & Repair. No mechanical parts.

Fish Carriers

by John Stubbs Naval Architect, Quebec, P.Q.

ABSTRACT

This paper describes the work of the fish carriers which transport, by sea, the product from the fish processing plants in the various eastern provinces of Canada to the markets. These plants are in many instances located in very isolated areas and in restricted waters which limits the size of these vessels.

Mention is made of the modernisation and expansion presently taking place in the Canadian fishing industry, which will create a need for new and enlarged markets for the fish produced, with a resultant requirement for additional and modern fish transports to deliver these products to these markets.

In the past, transportation by sea has been provided by small fish carriers, usuallyconvert- ed for this trade by the fitting of insulation and refrigerating machinery, but to meet the needs of this growing industry, the owners of these vessels have started a program of new construction of fish carriers designed specifically for this trade.

A general description of two of these new fish carriers, sister ships, the Blue Peter Iland the Blue Cloud, completed less than two years ago, follows, and a brief account of various features of of these vessels is given.

Mention is made of studies for improvements in equipping fish carriers which will bring some benefits in the handling of the product on these vessels.

In conclusion, it is suggested that the fish carriers, in serving the transportation needs of the more remote areas, are playing as important a part in the fishing economy as the trawlers themselves do.

In recent years, and particularly since the intro- stern-trawlers have been built. More trawlers, partic- duction of the subsidy on the construction of fishing ularly stern-trawlers, are currently under construction, vessels, Canadian fish producers have entered into and it can be anticipated that further orders for new a program of modernization and replacement of their construction of additional trawlers will continue to fishing fleets, and a considerable number of side- and be placed for some time to come. 116 CANADIAN ATLANTIC OFFSHORE FISHING VESSEL CONFERENCE

To process the catch of this expanding fleet, the with insulated capacities in the order of 20,000 cu, fish processing plants have been in many cases mod- ft, to 35,000 cu. ft., and with a service speed of ernized and expanded, and new plants have been built about 10 knots, more or less. In some cases, tanks and new projects for plant construction have been were fitted on deck for the carriage of a limited announced. quantity of fish oil. While cargo handling and other equipment on some of these vessels is of reasonably These fish processing plants are in many in- modern type, others are fitted with single derricks at stances located in isolated localities on the coasts each hatch served by a diesel driven winch. The refrig- of Labrador, Newfoundland, Quebec, and the Maritime erating machinery usually is arranged to hold the car- Provinces, where road and rail facilities are sometimes go at minus 50F. limited, and often non-existent, and transportation of the product from the plant to the markets can be In the last couple of years, however, a trend made only by sea. to replace existing tonnage engaged in this trade has With increased production potential, existing emerged, and several new ships have been con- markets will require to be expanded, and new markets structed in Canada and have entered into this service, overseas in the United Kingdom, Europe, and else- with more to follow in the coming years. where will require to be sought, and these can only Examples of these new vessels are two sister- be served by sea transportation. With larger volume, ships, completed less than two years ago, owned in shipments presently made by road or rail may show an St. John's, Newfoundland, by a company with many economic advantage if shipped by sea. years' experience in this trade. At the commence- Part of this movement of fish products is carried ment of construction of their new ships, this company out by a number of specially equipped vessels, Cana- already operated a fleet of five refrigerated fish car- dian owned and operated, which call in at the various riers, together with a varying number of foreign flag fish plants where they load the processed fish, and refrigerated and dry cargo vessels under charter to convey it to the ports of discharge, generally to East them, and were engaged primarily in transporting fro- Coast ports in the United States. Up to a dozen or zen and other fish products from Canadian and Green- even more plants may be visited, to take on a full land fish plants to United States and West Indian mar- load. These pick-up points may be scattered between kets. The return trips were made with general cargo, Labrador to the north and Nova Scotia and New frozen meat, fruit, and other produce, as available. Brunswick to the south, and can even extend to Due to the restricted conditions prevailing at Godhavn, Jakobshavn, and other ports in Greenland. the loading points, the dimensions of the new vessels Frequently, foreign-flag ships are chartered to were determined as follows; supplement the capacity of the Canadian fleet. Length 0.A 220' —0" Facilities at these pick-up points can be very Length B.P. 200' —0" limited. The wharf at which the fish carrier must Breadth, mld 3S' —0. , load will generally be the same wharf at which the Depth to Upper Deck 19' —0" trawlers discharge their catches into the plant, and Depth to Lower Deck 11' —3" will be limited in length; the depth of water available Draft, operating 13' —0" at the wharf will frequently be limited; the space for Draft, Summer Load 13' —6" manoeuvring the fish carrier in and out, while adequate Deadweight, tons 1,000 for the trawlers serving the plant, will often be re- Refrigerated Capacity, net, cu. ft 41,000 stricted for the larger vessel; and no shore loading Capacity, Fish Oil Tanks, tons 100 facilities will be available. Service Speed, Knots 12 Range, nautical miles 4,000 In the past these fish carriers have usually been converted from dry cargo ship types, being outfitted The ships were subdivided with fore peak tank by their owners with insulation and refrigerating ma- and store over, forward ballast tank with chain locker chinery, together with other auxiliaries as necessary. and hydraulic machinery space over, two refrigerated They range in length between about 140 ft. to 180 ft., holds and 'tween decks with refrigerated lock-up