Hookups  – One of the most dangerous emergencies!

This week, our newsletter is really focused on our trawler owners, operators and crew – however, a good read for all.

Whilst we hope that it doesn’t happen, the reality is that hook-ups are a part of trawler operations and they can be and are one of the most dangerous situations you can face.

Disclaimer: The information provided herein is an extract from the AMSA Hook-up response for fishing trawlers publication and NOT from Shorlink. We’ve only inserted references to our SMS manuals which are all in italics!

How do I know what a hook-up looks and/or feels like?

If you’ve ever experienced a hook-up you know but for those that don’t here’s the AMSA guide.

What to do in a hook-up situation?

You can use these steps to develop a hook-up response procedure if you don’t already have one. Please practice the procedure until you consistently achieve the “ready to winch position” in less than 20 seconds.

Warning signs: Vessel suddenly pulls, spins or starts leaning to one side.

If you see these warning signs, assume the vessel is hooked up. Act immediately.

Rest assured, if you have an SMS that was developed by Shorlink  you will have an emergency response procedure in place that is specific to your vessel.  Please refer to Section 12.

If not, YOU NEED ONE NOW!

However, these are the general steps that AMSA advise IN THE FIRST 20 SECONDS of a hookup:

1. Reduce power
    – Slow the trawler to the lowest possible speed to maintain steerage.
    – Make sure the nets do not get more tangled.
    – Keep the trawler as level as possible.
    – Consider whether you should move the trawler so:
        the bow of the trawler is facing the prevailing conditions, and/or
        the snagged wire is as close as possible to the stern.
   
   Never allow the wire to pass midway behind the stern toward the other side of the trawler!
   
   
2. Get all crew on deck wearing lifejackets and close hatches.
    – Yell out or sound an alarm.
    – Everyone on board goes to their hook-up response position.
    – Make sure a competent crew member is at the winch at all times.
    – Close all deck hatches.
    – Crew members who are not sure what to do should stay away from the back deck. Wait for instructions at the vessel’s muster station.
   Never start winching until everyone on board is on alert and ready to respond!
   
   
3. Alert other vessels in the area
    Send out a general radio communication alert to other trawlers/vessels in the area
   
   
4. Lifesaving equipment in float free position
   Make sure:

    – all crew are wearing a lifejacket

    – the EPIRB and your grab bag is easy to access

    – the life raft/dinghy is clear. 

Never start winching until all safety equipment is ready to go!

5. Start winching.
Stay well clear of pulleys or wires. If a pulley or shackle fails and the wire makes contact with your body, you could end up with severe injuries.

Never stand between the winch and the nets when winching!

More you could do!

Consider including these actions in your hook-up emergency procedure.

Retrieve equipment and move trawl cables to the side

– retrieve and secure any unsnagged equipment to help keep the lever effect to a minimum. The lever effect and strain on trawl arms will be very high when winching. The trawler may rollover in either direction without warning.

– once the trawler is over the hook-up site, and sea conditions are suitable, move both trawl wires to the side or stern of the trawler.

Move to the high side of the vessel

• The safest place to escape during a rollover is over the bow.
• Is you are not at the bow, and it rolls to one side, move to the high side. From this position, you have the best chance of jumping free without getting caught up in the trawlers structure.

Keep the trawler upright – or cut the wire

Maintaining an upright position is the most important task during a hook-up

High risk situations

The wind, tidal conditions and trawler are all running in the same directions.

The hook-up site moves from behind to beside the trawler.

Ways to stabilise

You may be able to stabilise the vessel by:

• Repositioning the trawler so that the snagged wire can be bought behind the stern
• Fixing the trawl wire to the anchor point at the front of the trawler. This will allow the tide and swell to work the net free.

When to cut the wire

• If you are unable to control the position of the wire or vessel, you may have reached a point of no return. You should be prepared to cut the wire.
• If you realise this early, you should have enough time to put the trawler in neutral, buoy the wire, then cut it.
• Don’t push the trawler past the point of no return – especially if the decision to push the trawler is made by someone not on the trawler. A life is worth more than a set of trawl gear.

Prepare for a hook-up

AMSA developed the following steps

1. Develop a hook-up plan/emergency procedure

You could use the advice under “What to do in a hook-up situation as a starting point.

Give each crew member a response position and role. For example:

• Number 1 deckhand engages the PDO and main winch
• Number 2 deckhand winches up the tri gear.

As stated above, it is imperative that you have a clear procedure in place.  These can be located in Section 12 of the latest SMS’s by Shorlink.  If you haven’t updated your SMS recently, or even worse, you don’t have, please contact us today to discuss.

2. Maintain and check your gear
Make sure you’re regularly checking the gear that matters most in a hook-up situation.

Example gear checks

Booms and stays

• All boom shackles moused.
• Stays free from swelling, cracking or corrosion. Plastic-covered stays can rust inside.
• Shackles and chains on top stays or chained-down stays. These may stop the booms from skying in an incident.

Trawl gear and wires

• Shackles where boards connect to warps.
• Trawl blocks on boom ends or cotton rails. These are high-wear points.
• Wire splices.
• Swage thimbles.
• Safety chains or strops on trawl blocks.

Lazy lines and deck fittings

• Securely fixed.
• Fitted with safety chains. 

Dinghies, awnings, and water

Empty rainwater from: 

• dinghy ends
• dip tanks
• awning covers.

Do this before the trip and regularly during the trip.

Loose equipment

• Securely fix loose cookers, fridges, computers, fire extinguishers etc.

Emergency gear

• Snatch blocks and chain pendants are onboard.
• Crew know where gear is and how to use it.

3. Train your crew!

Skippers must make sure crew know:

• the hook-up emergency procedure, including each crew member’s role
• how to maintain and check gear
• where equipment is stored
• how lifejackets are worn
• how each piece of safety equipment is operated.

4. Practise your response time
The most experienced skippers and crew can be in a ‘ready to winch position’ in less than 20 seconds (steps 1 to 4 on the hook-up procedure are complete). 

If you and your crew know what to do in a hook-up situation, you’re more likely to avoid panic if it happens.

Tips for practising:

• Conduct regular drills and time them. For example, you could practise and time getting all safety equipment in the float-free position.
• All crew members are obligated to take part in regular emergency response drills.
• Don’t stop practising until you consistently achieve the ‘ready to winch position’ in less than 20 seconds.
• When you are confident the crew is prepared, conduct random checks to maintain the minimum 20 second response time.

A well-rehearsed crew could save the life of everyone on board.

Shorlink’s Recommendation

We know the above can sound daunting, and the reality is…. It is!

It is imperative to ensure your crew are trained in hook-up procedures as it can be the difference between life and death of your crew, the safety of the vessel and potential legal ramifications. 

With this in mind, we strongly recommend that all onboard, and that is everyone, including the Master are regularly trained and tested to ensure their knowledge is up-to-date, vessel specific and that everyone understands their role and responsibilities.

Tip

 As always, training and practise do make perfect!

A well-trained crew does make all the difference so it’s important to train your crew in the procedure adhering to what’s in your SMS often — it could save every life on board.

We would greatly appreciate your comments on AMSAs Hook-up procedure, we encourage you to so please send them to contact@shorlink.com

Need more information please don’t hesitate to contact our office and discuss with a real trawlerman!