Ship Safety Bulletins (SSB)
RDIMS No .: 5263267
Date ( Y-M-D ): 2010-05-17
Subject: Fishing Vessel Safety: Hinged Fins as Anti-Roll Devices
This bulletin has been replaced by Ship Safety Bulletin No. 03/2024.
Purpose
To inform fishing vessel owners, masters, and operators of certain safety concerns raised by the installation of experimental hinged fin type anti-roll devices.
Description
Hinged fin anti-roll devices have recently been installed on a number of fishing vessels. The device is fastened to the hull bilges with hinges. When lowered and held in place in the working position by a vertical sliding arm (see diagram), the device is intended to reduce a vessel’s rolling motion.
Safety Concerns
Previous Ship Safety Bulletins have highlighted risks related to vessel modifications, including the addition of anti-roll devices.
Anti-roll devices may provide a more comfortable working platform by reducing the rolling motion, but they do not improve a vessel’s stability. In some circumstances, an anti-roll device can hide a deteriorating stability condition and provide a false sense of safety. A malfunction of the device may also create an immediate stability risk.
These hinged devices are not approved by Transport Canada. Transport Canada is not aware of them having been designed to a recognized standard, approved by other administrations, or certified by classification societies.
To validate and certify an innovative device, extensive engineering studies are normally conducted together with a program of trials to define all parameters and establish the operating limits.
The anti-roll device should have operating instructions that explain the operating limits, including details on when and how the device should be used safely.
Risk to Safety
Possible risks of using this type of device:
Recommendation
Vessel owners, masters and operators are reminded of their responsibilities for the development of procedures for the safe operation of the vessel and for dealing with emergencies.
Before installing the device, review the operating instructions and consider the risks carefully, including the weight effect on stability. Make sure you understand how the device may affect your vessel and that using the device, given the risks, makes sense for your operation. If you do install the device, or have already installed one, you, as owner, master or operator have legal responsibilities for vessel safety. These include:
Having operating procedures in place so that the device is used safely, including racking the device when conditions do not permit fishing operations.
Training the crew on how to use the device and making sure they understand the device’s operating limits so that they do not put the vessel in danger because they did not know when and how the device should be used.
Additional information and guidance on the risks from adding an anti-roll device can be found in the following bulletins available at www.tc.gc.ca/eng/marinesafety/bulletins-menu.htm :
The following document is available for downloading or viewing:
Fishing Vessel Safety: Hinged Fins as Anti-Roll Devices (219 KB )
To access the Portable Document Format ( PDF ) version you must have a PDF reader installed. If you do not already have such a reader, there are numerous PDF readers available for free download or for purchase on the Internet:
2. Fin
3. Stabilizer
Manager, Ship Design & Fishing Vessels
shipshape-batimentforme@tc.gc.ca
Marine Safety (AMSRD)
Tower C, Place de Ville
11th Floor, 330 Sparks Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N8
To add or change your address, contact us at: marinesafety-securitemaritime@tc.gc.ca or 613-991-3135.
Owners of commercial vessels automatically receive Bulletins.