Stability, safety and operability of small fishing vessels

In this paper, the relationship between stability, safety and operability for small fishing vessels is investigated. To this aim, a relevant set of small fishing vessels is selected. These have similar main dimensions and capsized in stability related accidents between 2004 and 2007. The stability and operability characteristics of such vessels are confronted with those of the vessels that had been decommissioned in order to build them, operated by the same crews, in the same areas and using the same fishing gear types. Such vessels are considered as reference safe vessels since their operational life came to an end without any hazards. With regard to stability, fulfilment of the intact stability criteria in force when the vessels were designed and built is verified. Operability criteria are selected and their fulfilment is analyzed for a range of sea states, headings and velocities using linear seakeeping analysis. In light of this analysis, operability is discussed as a valid indicator of ship safety. This step is considered relevant prior to analyzing these sets of vessels through second generation stability criteria under development by the International Maritime Organization, a subject of immediate future research.