The invention is related to a device for handling a seine on a fishing vessel, according to the preamble of patent claim 1, and use of such a device according to claim 7.

Background The invention is related to a device for handling a seine on a fishing vessel, particularly for hauling of a ring seine. Traditionally, the seine is handled at the side of the vessel. Handling of the seine at the side of the vessel results in high wear on equipment and vessel, since the vessel is pulled towards the seine, where it can get in contact with the boat side and the bilge keel. However, as a result the vessel is subjected to large lateral loads that must be compensated by large amounts of ballast and intense use of propeller and thrusters to keep the vessel in position and not at least fulfil the requirements to stability.

Moreover, the crew aboard vessels of this type is challenging health, environment and safety (HMS) and must stay and move on open deck ahead of superstructure during handling of the seine. Moreover, crew must perform manual operations, such as disconnecting and moving rings (about 50 items) on the purse seine wire during hauling of catch: After the seine has been pursed and collected at the vessel side ready for hauling of catch, the purse seine wire is hauled from the sea whereupon the rings are hooked off the purse seine wire one by one and carried manually to a ring needle on another location on the vessel, ready for a new throw. Moreover, crew are located in the seine bin to position float and weight during placement of the sein down in the seine bin. SU 1145967 Al describes a device for a purse seine lifter, comprising a seine bin and a mechanism for hauling and guiding the seine between numerous fixed positions along the side of a fishing boat. The purpose is to tackle handling of the seine during varying weather conditions.

NO 311865 Bl describes a device for placing a seine into a seine bin after hauling. A drum is arranged movable back and forth above the seine bin, and a pulling device is arranged to, in a prepared manner, place float line and weight line in the seine bin. The pulling device is supported by two inter-articulated arms which are pivotal about an axis and/or pivotal in vertical direction.

A holding device for purse seine rings is described in NO 138 165 Bl for collecting the rings, where the holding device is arranged at the side of a boat. Object

The object of the invention is to provide a device for handling a seine, particularly ring seine, aboard a vessel, which in particular improves the stability and manoeuvrability of the vessel during hauling/pursing. It is also an object of the invention to provide a device for hauling seine that reduces the need for manual handling.

The invention

These objects are achieved by a device according to the characterizing part of patent claim 1 and a use according to claim 7. Additional advantageous features appear from the independent claims.

The present invention is related to a device for handling a seine aboard a fishing vessel, particularly ring seine. The device comprises a seine bin, a fish pump, a crane and a power block for handling of the sine, a purse block support for guiding a purse seine wire on the seine, and drive means for hauling the seine. A ring needle is arranged at the seine bin for accommodating seine rings. Moreover, the device exhibits a seine ring holder for temporarily receiving and holding seine rings during hauling, during release of the seine purse seine wire from the seine rings. In accordance with the invention, the device further comprises: a seine positioning means arranged movable substantially horizontally along, and across, the longitudinal extension of the vessel, for positioning the seine to an arbitrary position above the seine bin, to which seine positioning means the power block is arranged, drive means for moving the positioning means and the power block during hauling of the ring seine, wherein the seine bin is arranged at the stern of the fishing vessel, said device further comprising a seine guiding means arranged at the stern of the fishing vessel, astern of the seine bin, and movable between starboard and aport side of the vessel, whereby the seine ring holder is arranged at the stern. In one embodiment the seine ring holder is fork-shaped having mutually parallel elongate fork legs extending substantially horizontally along the stern of the fishing vessel, having the open end of the fork legs extending inward to the centre of the fishing vessel. The interstice between the legs is arranged to receive ropes on the seine, and the upper surface of the fork legs is arranged to receive and support the seine rings. In an alternative embodiment the seine ring holder is formed as an elongate trough having a length sufficient to receive the seine rings, and having a width equal to or larger than the ring diameter. The trough exhibits an elongate slit extending from one end of the trough and with a distance toward the other end to receive ropes of the seine. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the device is assembled inside, under a deck, thus forming a roof for the device. Then, crew can work protected against weather and wind and hence obtain an improved comfort and safety.

In one embodiment, the seine positioning means is a frame extending across the longitudinal extension of the fishing vessel. Moreover, the frame is provided with legs exhibiting sliding means or wheels, and arranged movable along the longitudinal extension of the vessel. The power block is arranged movable along the frame between starboard and aport side of the vessel. In this way, the power block can be positioned in an arbitrary location in the horizontal plane above the seine bin.

In an alternative embodiment, the seine positioning means is a crane beam arranged in the ceiling of a superimposed deck, movable along and across the longitudinal extension of the fishing vessel, to any position in the horizontal plane above the seine bin.

Accordingly, by means of the positioning means the power block can be positioned with regard to the seine bin during pursing to position parts of the seine in the seine bin.

The movable frame further exhibits a purse block suspension serving as guiding means for the purse seine wire during pursing of the seine. The seine guiding means is in a preferred embodiment arranged laterally movable viewed in the elongate direction of the vessel. In one embodiment the seine guiding means is a roller arranged slideably on a strut. Moreover, the seine guiding means can be provided with a guiding arm (sceptre) to obtain improved guiding of the seine. The guiding arm is advantageously foldable so that it can be hided when the seine guiding means is not being used.

The seine ring holder arranged at the seine bin to receive and hold the rings during release of the purse seine wire is an important part of the device. As described above, the seine ring holder does in one embodiment exhibit an elongate fork-shaped means arranged at one side of the stern, having fork legs extending substantially along the stern, and wherein the free ends of the fork legs extend inward in the vessel. The purpose of the seine ring holder is to keep the rings to remove the purse seine wire in a convenient manner during hauling of the seine. It is also supposed to accommodate the forces that arise between seine and vessel. After the pursing, the seine is lifted by a crane and the rings are conveyed collectively up to the upper side of the seine ring holder, whereby the crowfeet, which is cordage/ropes which at one side connects to the weights of the seine, and at the other side connects to the purse rings, is pulled in between the fork legs. Then, the purse seine wire is released and pulled out of the rings, whereas the rings are kept on the seine ring holder. After the purse seine wire has been pulled out of the rings, the seine is hauled in by the power block, whereby the rings are pulled off the seine ring holder and pulled in together with the crowfeet and the weights. The weights are distributed in the seine bin together with the rest of the seine. An operator simultaneously lifts the rings over to the ring needle for storage until the next throw, as described in further detail below. The seine ring holder is dimensioned to tolerate large strains, since it has to bear the weight of the seine and the catch, for example 60- 100 tons. The seine ring holder has the benefit that there is no longer need for disconnecting ring by ring and carry them manually along the vessel for storage on the ring needle. The seine is hauled up from the sea by the power block known per se and is deposited in the seine bin by means of the movable power block. The movable power block provides for distributing the seine in the sein bin, with the float distributed along one side of the seine bin (aport) by a float distributor. The weights are deposited at the opposite side (for example starboard) of the seine bin by means of a weight distributor. The weight distributor is in one embodiment a roller arranged movable back and forth along the wall of the seine bin. The weight distributor provides for depositing the weight part of the seine evenly along said one side of the seine bin. In use an operator is standing at the weight distributor, grabbing ring by ring and hooking them on a ring needle arranged at the weight distributor, ready for use in the next throw.

The movable power block, the seine guiding means, the weight distributor and the pump can be controlled by a controller unit. Drawings

In the following the invention is described in further details by means of drawings illustrating one embodiment of the invention, wherein

Fig. 1 shows a prototype of a fishing vessel with the device in accordance with the invention viewed toward the stern, Fig. 2 shows the stern part of the fishing vessel with the device in accordance with the invention viewed from above, Fig. 3 shows in perspective a section of the stern part of the fishing vessel with the device in accordance with the invention with the purse seine rings suspended on the purse seine wire in a situation where the rings are to be guided onto the ring holder during hauling of the seine,

Fig. 4 is an illustration similar to Fig. 3 where the rings have been inserted on the ring holder with the crowfeet suspended between the fork legs on the ring holder,

Fig. 5 is an illustration similar to Figs. 3 and 4 but where the purse seine wire has been removed and the rings are resting on the ring holder ready to be pulled into the seine bin together with the rest of the seine, and

Fig. 6 shows part of the seine bin and the device in accordance with the invention viewed in perspective from aport side during hauling of the seine.

Fig. 1 shows a fishing vessel 200 with a stern 201. A seine bin 117 is arranged at the stern 201. Between the stern 201 and the seine bin 117, a seine guiding means 113 is arranged, in the form of a roller arranged slideably on a strut 114 in a direction lateral to the longitudinal extension of the vessel, for example driven by hydraulics. The roller 113 is arranged to be moved from one side edge of the seine bin 117 to the other, to guide hauling of the seine (not illustrated) into the seine bin 117. A power block 101, 102, 103 is attached to a movable frame. The movable frame comprises in this embodiment lateral struts 104, 105 extending across more than the whole width of the seine bin 117. Moreover, the movable frame exhibits in this exemplary embodiment legs 106 provided with wheels 107. Drive means (not shown) is arranged to move the movable frame back and forth in direction of the elongate extension of the vessel. Moreover, the power block 101, 102, 103 is attached to an attachment means arranged slideably on the struts 104, 105 in the width direction as described above. The power block 101, 102, 103 and hence the seine can then be positioned in any position in the seine bin.

Moreover, the device in accordance with the invention comprises a fish pump 118 (Figs. 1 and 6), which in the exemplary embodiment is mounted to one of the struts 105 supported by a winch. However, the fish pump can be mounted on different locations, e.g. at the stern 201. A crane 109 is mounted on the attachment means for the power block for handling of the ring seine. A ring needle 119 known per se (Figs. 5 and 6) are mounted at a side edge of the seine bin 117 adjacent to the stern 201 of the fishing vessel 200. The ring needle 119 serves as storage location for seine rings between the throws and is in part operated manually by crew as described in further detail below. Moreover, a seine ring holder 115 (Figs. 1, 3, 4-6) is arranged at the stern, which in the illustrated embodiment comprises two fork legs extending mutually in parallel in direction along the stern 201. The seine ring holder 115 is arranged adjacent to the ring needle 119. The function of the ring holder 115 is described in further detail in connection with Figs. 3-6. Now referring to Fig. 3, the purse seine wire 301 has been pulled up and the seine rings 302 are collected at the ring holder 115 ready to release the purse seine wire 301 and seine rings 302. The purse seine wire 301 is arranged in two seine power blocks 120 and 121 and is pulled by a winch (not illustrated) further ahead on the vessel.

As shown in Fig. 4, the seine rings 302 have been inserted onto the ring holder 115 with the pending crow feet 303 inserted between elongate legs of the ring holder. Then the purse seine wire 301 with the appending rings 302 is ready to be lowered down onto the ring holder 115.

In Fig. 5 the purse seine wire has been removed (not shown in the figure), and the seine rings 302 are now resting upon the ring holder 115 together with the appending crow feet 303 and weights 304. The purse seine wire 301 is loosened manually by crew at the ring holder 115. Moreover, Fig. 5 shows a situation where the seine is being hauled. For simplicity the seine has been omitted from the illustration. The seine together with the weights 304 are pulled into the seine bin 117 by means of the power block 101, 102, 103 (e.g. see Fig. 1), and one by on the crow feet 303 are hauled up whereby the seine rings 302 are hooked off the ring holder 115 and being pulled together with the seine into the seine bin 117. At the same time the seine guiding means 113 is activated, preferably provided with a guiding arm 112, and the seine guiding means 113 is moved sideways coordinated with elongate and lateral movement of the power block 101, 102, 103 during hauling of the seine. The power block, the seine guiding means and other components of the device in accordance with the invention are advantageously controlled fully or partly automatically, e.g. by a pre-programmed PLS. Mechanical operation and control of the movable components of the device in accordance with the present invention is not described closer here, since it is considered to be within the reach of a person skilled in the art with support in the present disclosure.

Fig. 6 illustrates the further course of the seine hauling illustrated in the preceding drawings. A weights distributor is indicated by 116 and comprises in the illustrated embodiment a roller arranged movable back and forth along the side (starboard) of the seine bin 117. The weights distributor provides for distributing the weights of the seine in the bottom of the seine bin along the side of the same. Crew (now shown) is located in the area of the weights distributor 116 and a ring needle 119, whereby the crew grasps the rings 302 while being hauled in and hooking ring by ring 302 into the ring needle 119. The seine rings 302 remain resting on the ring needle 119 until the next throw, whereby they are hooked off the ring needle 119 while the seine is dropped into the sea. In Fig. 6 only one single seine ring 302 is illustrated suspended on the ring needle 119. The invention has several advantages:

• Since the seine is hauled into the stern, there are few or no lateral forces that can destabilize the vessel. The vessel can use its main propeller astern and/or a submergible propeller forward to keep the vessel away from the seine. Accordingly, contact between seine and vessel no longer arises, and the requirement to machinery dimensions, ballast and propeller propulsion can be reduced.

• The ring holder and the mechanical hauling of weights, seine and float allows for use of simpler and safer seine rings.

• There is no longer need for the crew to dismount ring by ring from the purse seine wire and carry then from the site of dismounting to the ring needle for storage until new throw. · There is no need for any manual operations in order to distribute the seine in the seine bin.

Only the seine rings on the crow feet need to be relocated and located manually on the ring needle via the weights distributor.

• HMS (Health, environment and safety): There is no need for crew to stay ahead of the wheel house. The device in accordance with the invention can advantageously be built-in under deck, thus forming a comfort zone and safety barrier.

Alternative use

The device in accordance with the invention can also be used when trawling. When the trawler doors have been landed on each side of the aft, a rope is connected to each side of the trawl. The ropes are arranged in the power block. The trawl can be deposited on the seine or behind a movable "grid bulkhead" forward in the seine bin. The catch is still hauled astern.

The device in accordance with the invention can also be used in oil protection where the power block is used for hauling oil booms including accessory for storage and handling in the seine bin. Modifications

The device in accordance with the invention is illustrated by a movable frame provided with wheels and drive means for moving the power block, and positioning it in any desired position in relation to the seine bin. However, a person skilled in the art will, in power of skill and the present disclosure, be able to derive different constructions for positioning power block and seine as needed. For example, the device in accordance with the invention can be arranged under deck where a crane beam is mounted in the ceiling, movable to any position laterally and longitudinally viewed in the elongate direction of the vessel.