Question 1

A trawl becomes snagged on the seabed while the vessel is hauling, and the vessel begins to heel progressively rather than the gear releasing. What is the immediate priority action?

Accepted Answer

Release the gear/warp tension immediately (e.g. via the winch brake or an emergency release arrangement) before the heel progresses further — do not continue hauling in an attempt to free the gear This is the exact mechanism behind numerous fatal fishing vessel capsizes: a snagged trawl continuing to be hauled converts winch power directly into heeling moment, and the vessel can capsize within seconds once past a critical angle. The instinctive but wrong response is to keep hauling to "save the gear" — the correct response is immediate release of tension, with gear loss accepted as the lesser consequence.

Question 2

What is the principal cause of fatal accidents on UK fishing vessels, according to the long-running pattern identified by MAIB investigations?

Accepted Answer

Capsize or foundering, very often linked to loss of stability while hauling or shooting gear, downflooding through open or unsecured openings, or overloading Capsize/foundering, frequently triggered by a stability event during gear hauling/shooting (e.g. a snagged trawl pulling the vessel over) combined with downflooding through an open door, hatch, or freeing port, is the single most consistent cause of fishing vessel loss of life in UK waters — which is why the Small Fishing Vessel Code places such heavy emphasis on stability and watertight integrity.

Question 3

What is the "Wolfson Method" used for under the Code of Practice for the Safety of Fishing Vessels less than 15m LOA?

Accepted Answer

A simplified stability assessment method, developed for small fishing vessels, used to generate practical stability guidance (the Wolfson Stability Notice) without requiring a full naval-architect inclining experiment The Wolfson Method was developed (by the Wolfson Unit) specifically to give owners of small fishing vessels — who may not have access to full naval architecture support — a practical, affordable way to assess and demonstrate their vessel's stability, with the output displayed aboard as the Wolfson Stability Notice.