Device for Determining the Towing Capacity of Small Vessels

摘要

The calibration of a variable drag device, known as the Variable Drug Sweep Simulator (VDSS), is described. It is used to measure the capability of wooden hull fishing trawlers to tow mine sweep gear. The Royal Australian Navy intends converting a number of wooden hull fishing trawlers into small auxiliary minesweepers, MSA(S). Australian wooden hull fishing trawlers of interest to the RAN are only 15 to 25 m in length and it is necessary to measure the towing capacity of a fishing trawler prior to its acquisition for minesweeping. Deploying actual sweep gear would present a logistic and/or security problem so a lightweight device has been developed to simulate various types of sweep gear from a tow load, or hydrodynamic drag, viewpoint. (CP)