Stability of Fishing Vessels with Water on Deck: A Review

Abstract

A thorough literature survey of research into the effect of water on deck on fishing vessel stability revealed that four predominant analysis techniques have been employed. The first, a static approach, is used to judge vessel stability by predicting the pseudo-static angle of heel, the heel angle about which the vessel rolls when water is trapped on deck. The second approach is a dynamic one in which the equation of motion in roll is written and the water on deck is treated as a roll-inducing moment. The third approach employs probabilistic analysis to determine the likelihood of having water on deck, usually presented as a function of freeboard and sea state. A hydrodynamic analysis, applied in the research of Dillingham, models the geometry of the water on deck as a function of time and inputs the resulting forces and moments as an exciting term in the roll motion equation, assuming linear motions. The hydrodynamic approach represents a significant advancement in understanding the phenomenon and is a logical point from which to initiate further research efforts.