Prospects for the Development of a SWATH Fishing Vessel

The modern fishing fleet has adopted multiple fishing techniques for survival. A single vessel is equipped to deep trawl, shallow trawl, long-line and even set pots for lobster and crabs. In this way, today's fisherman is no longer restricted to the fortunes of the traditional one-technique fishing boat. Data are presented on the variable requirements for the Central Pacific industry and the type of vessel that is needed. The introduction into modern ship design of the Navy's SWATH concept provides the industry with an advanced craft that has a wide expanse of usable deck and work spaces and extraordinary stability for safer, more effective deployment of equipment. The numerous features of the SWATH design are discussed, and a specific, though necessarily preliminary, design is presented for an advanced Semi-submerged Fishing Vessel (SSFV) that will be constructed in the early 1980's.