| Abstract | The current Canadian regulations for fishing vessel stability meet the accepted international standards for fishing boats provided by the International Maritime Organization (IMO, 1993). However, the geometric proportions of Canadian boats, especially in Newfoundland, are extreme, with very wide beams and very high decks. It is not clear that a hydrostatic analysis alone is sufficient to assess the capsize safety of these vessels. The intention of this research was to compare the effectiveness of the current hydrostatic assessment of fishing vessel stability against more realistic cases by including the dynamics of the vessel in waves. The analysis was carried out using a computer code for predicting ship motions, up to and including a capsize. The results of the analysis showed that the value of righting arm (GZ) at 40 degrees of heel had an effect on the vessels ability to survive in waves. Vessels that met the requirements of STAB 4 but had the lowest values of GZ from 30 to 40 degrees heel were predicted to capsize in lower waves than vessels with high values of GZ in the same range. Other factors that affected survivability were the amount of superstructure fitted to the ship and the steepness of the waves. |
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