Our reporter told CHIRP that their 27m beam trawler was alongside, port side too, in the harbour for maintenance. They hoisted the port (inboard) trawl so that they could stand on the quayside and fix the nets. Just before they started work, the steel wire rope (SWR) parted, and the beam, stone mat and net fell at great speed over the side between the vessel and the quay, only narrowly missing several of the crew. A new rope was reeved, and, with the help of a diver, the gear was safely recovered.
In subsequent correspondence, the reporter stated that the ropes were regularly greased and checked for signs of wear. Ropes were also ordinarily end-for-ended approximately halfway through their estimated service life to further reduce the effects of wear on any one part of a rope. There was no indication that the rope had been overloaded or worn.
