Commercial Fishing Boats

Buying and Selling Commercial Fishing Vessels

Buying and selling commercial fishing boats is an essential part of business for people in the commercial fishing and seafood industries.

Some fishermen will choose a new boat, while others may try to find a boat that is already outfitted and ready to fish.

A third option is to find a solid hull that can be repowered and refitted for the current fishery.

Commercial Fishing Boat Surveys

When buying pre-owned boats, it is important to do a thorough inspection, have the boat surveyed by a reputable marine surveyer, and check the boat's history and log books.

Was the vessel been maintained properly? Has any warranty work been done? Were there any previous insurance claims on the vessel?

These are all questions that can make a big difference in the value of a commercial fishing vessel.

What if I want to build a boat to sell in the USA?

Several regulations apply when building a custom commercial fishing boat for sale in the USA.

Potential boat builders can obtain a package of information through the mail from the United States Coast Guard. The information packet covers regulations and other requirements, such as how to get a manufacturers identification code (MIC). To obtain the package you can write to:

Commandant (CG/54223)

U.S. Coast Guard
Room 3100
Washington, DC 20593-0001

Should I Consider Buying a Wooden Commercial Fishing Boat?

Wood was once a popular material for building commercial fishing boats. A number of working wooden boats exist in fisheries around the world and in rare cases new boats are still constructed from wood.

Wooden boats have several advantages although they are known for needing extensive maintenance. Insurance can be a big issue as wooden vessels are often very hard if not impossible to insure.

Deadrise Boats



In many parts of the USA and Canada these are popular commercial fishing boats. Deadrise boats have very little V or deadrise at the stern, but the amount of deadrise tapers to a very sharp entry point. Deadrise boats may have a cabin or be open and there are many variations of stern shapes, bow flare, engine configurations, cabin layouts and other features.

Lobster Boats

These popular boats are easy to spot. They feature rounded bottoms at the stern, and a sharply rising bow, usually with a cabin located forward. Lobster boats are often powered with small diesel engines which make them extremely efficient.

Chesapeake Bay Skipjacks



Chesapeake Bay Skipjacks became common in the late 1800's. These single masted sailing vessels were relatively inexpensive to build, and their shallow draft enabled them to dredge oysters closer in to shore. Chesapeake Bay Skipjacks were often built by watermen in their backyards.

Chesapeake Bay Buyboats



Buyboats were common on the Chesapeake Bay in the 19th century. Their purpose was to purchase oysters directly from sailing workboats in Chesapeake Bay on fishing grounds and then carry the oysters to market to sell for a profit in ports such as Baltimore and Annapolis. This saved the oyster fleet a long sail to market.

Trawlers

These boats come in many sizes, shapes, displacements, hull types and configurations. Trawlers may be specialized or be flexible in their designs, and some boats are equipped to easily remove the trawl gear and switch to different payloads.

Bulbous Bows

One modern addition to many steel trawlers and other displacement hull boats is a bulbous bow. The purpose of a bulbous bow is to change the nature of this bow wave to reduce the drag it induces on the hull.

Displacement hulls push water aside as they move. The water that is pushed aside forms a wave that begins near the bow. The length of this wave is proportional to the speed of the hull through the water-the faster the hull moves, the longer the bow wave.

At some speed, the length of the bow wave increases to the point that it matches the length of the hull, and the hull operates in the trough of the wave, with a peak near the bow and another peak near the stern. This speed is called the "hull speed" and it is approximately 1.34 times the square root of the waterline length of the hull.

The bulbous bow creates it's own wave that is farther forward and "out of phase" with the natural bow wave created by the hull, effectively subtracting from the normal bow wave and reducing it's drag-inducing effect.

A bow bulb can be optimized for a specific speed (or a small range of speeds). A bow bulb providing the greatest potential for reduced fuel consumption is generally designed at a given speed.

On March 21, 2008 the Bush Administration approved an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) as part of a regulatory effort to develop amendments to United States Coast Guard commercial fishing industry vessel regulations. The ANPRM will be published in the Federal Register. The ANPRM announces the Coast Guard's intention to solicit feedback from the commercial fishing industry prior to developing additional regulations.

The proposed changes would enhance maritime safety by adding new requirements for vessel stability and watertight integrity, stability training and assessments, vessel maintenance and self-examinations, immersion suits, crew preparedness, safety training, emergency preparation, safety and training personnel, safety equipment, and documentation. Miscellaneous conforming, clarifying, and other administrative changes are also contemplated. Comments and related material must reach the Docket Management Facility on or before July 29, 2008.

More information:

An article on U.S. Commercial Fishing Regulations.

http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/E8-6477.htm

http://www.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/fr-cont.html

Commercial fishing is the United States' deadliest occupation, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. Fishermen recorded the highest occupational fatality rate of 111.8 per 100,000 workers in 2007. There were 39 commercial fishing and hunting deaths in 2007, down from 51 deaths in 2006.

Artisan fishing boats are traditional vessels that are used by small scale commercial or subsistence fishermen. These boats are used by coastal or ethnic groups using traditional techniques such as hand lines, spears, bow fishing, harpoons, cast nets and other traditional fishing equipment.

Commercial fishing boat enthusiasts will enjoy these commercial fishing and seafood calendars.

Clean Boating for Alaskans
Price: Free
ISBN: 978-1-56612-150-7

This FREE, 28-page, color illustrated booklet provides great tips for Alaska boat operators on how to save fuel, keep boat operation and maintenance green, mitigate marine debris, respect wildlife, and access new boat technology.

You may order single or bulk quantities. Display them on your counter for mariners to take, distribute them to your coworkers, etc. The publication is a collaboration of the Alaska Marine Conservation Council, the National Park Service, and the Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program.

Order your free copies online at AlaskaSeaGrant.org/bookstore