Cruise Report 7th March 1967

Cruise Report
F.R.S. "Explorer"
7th - 28th March, 1967

Objective: To participate in an international survey of the distribution of abundance of adolescent herring in the North Sea

Narrative: The Explorer sailed from Aberdeen at 1100 hours on the 9th March and processed to the first trawling station in the Buchan Deeps. By the time this position was reached the wind had strengthened considerably and the swell was too heavy to shoot the trawl. In view of the forecast of further deterioration in the weather it was decided to seek shelter in the Forth. The next three days were spent at anchor in the Forth, in very bad weather. This set the pattern for the remainer of the cruise in which never more than two consecutive days were workable and a major part of the time was spent dodging in gale or severe gale conditions. As a result only sixteen trawl hauls were done during the cruise.

Daily contact was made by radio with other research ships taking part in the young herring survey. Arrangements were made to do a comparative fishing experiment with the research vessels ANTON DOHRN and CLIONE in rectangle J11 where ANTON DOHRN had located good catches of young herring a few days previously. On hauling the first trawl of this experiment it was found that Explorer's trawl was badly torn and only two herring were caught. The other two ships shot again whilst Explorer proceeded to mend the damaged net. By the time this was completed the weather had deteriorated enough to preclude shooting again and CLIONE and ANTON DOHRN had also to stop working after their second haul. The cruise finished at Leith where Explorer docked in the afternoon of the 27th March.

Alan Saville
17th April, 1967