This project will enable further refinement of an early warning monitor which alerts the crew to dangerous conditions on board which could lead to the vessel capsizing.
£85,500
12 months
Hook Marine Ltd, a small SME engineering company based in Ayrshire, has developed what is believed to be the world’s first on-board, real-time stability monitor instrument for use on fishing vessels. This instrument operates as an early warning device for the crew, giving them vital information on the ability of the vessel to return to an upright position at sea, thus avoiding the all too-c6mm6n disaster of capsizing. The device in its present form is limited in its application, and the company is now engaging in further development work to enable the monitor to be used on any size of fishing boat, and in any sea conditions. Fishing vessels, often working in mid-ocean with doors and hatches open, can have their stability affected by water coming on deck without sufficient drainage, water ingress to the hull, ice accretion on the superstructure, free surface effect from partly filled tanks, and inadvisable modifications to the vessel or fishing gear before leaving port.
From accident records, it is believed that over 60% of fishing vessels losses are due to stability issues, and fishing remains one of the most hazardous occupations globally.
Hook Marine Ltd