Application of Hydraulics in Fishing Vessel Deck Equipment: Case Study of F.V. Sagar Harita

Abstract

The application of hydraulic power in operating deck machinery is a means of saving effort. A combination fishing vessel requires multiple winches onboard for setting and hauling different fishing gears. The commercial fishing vessels presently operating in India use mechanical winches driven directly by the main engine. When multiple gears are to be operated from a vessel, power transmission to all the winches from main engine will be made easy by hydraulic drive. This also reduces the maintenance of machinery and reduces the breakdown, especially during the peak fishing seasons. Compared to the mechanical system, hydraulic systems are compact and weigh less. The vibrations, wear and tear and sound are also less during operations compared to mechanical systems. This communication presents the application of hydraulics in deck machinery which was experimented and refined on F.V. Sagar Harita designed and developed by ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology.