Fishboat puzzle

While I was taking photos in the commercial basin in Bellingham this afternnon my wife noticed that several of the seiners have this device in their rigging and she wondered what it was for. As it was 20 degrees out and blowing hard, there wasn't anyone on the docks to ask.

So I'm curious if there's anyone here with commercial fishboat experience who knows what it is. Whatever it is, it's made out of line, not wire.

All these boats have wind speed and direction indicators so we doubt it's got anything to do with that. We're wondering if its some sort of day signal to indicate nets in the water or the type of fishing the boat is rigged for or some such thing.

There are plenty of funny facetious guesses so have it if you like. But if someone knows what it really is, we'd like to know.

Commercial fishing day shape ... 2 cones tip to tip, and/or trawls, nets, baskets or other gear displayed under way or at anchor.

Day shaped for vessels engaged in fishing - Two cones in a vertical line with their apexes pointed at the center.

Not quite sure why the shapes are left up all the time. Pretty common that they are never taken down.

psneeld said:

Not quite sure why the shapes are left up all the time. Pretty common that they are never taken down.

Click to expand...

We see them at the Lobster House all the time. Permanently tied, covered in diesel soot along with their green over white lights always on.

Not sure why no one cares that they are never taken down.
Either on the user or enforcer sides of the fence.
Makes the whole concept of the rules and who really follows them, or cares ...weaker.

Thanks everyone. And thanks, Al, for the Colregs reference. When I began to think it was some sort of day mark I was home. We have a copy of the regs up on the boat, but it didn't dawn on me that I could look them up on the web.

While seiners are not trawlers, the two-cone signal still applies since when they are setting the net they pull (drag) the net off the drum and through the water in a huge circle with the net boat.

The cones apply to just about every fishing boat except trollers, which get no special rules "privilege".

psneeld said:

The cones apply to just about every fishing boat except trollers, which get no special rules "privilege".

Click to expand...

Part of the the Colreg reference Al put up is....

b) A vessel when engaged in trawling, by which is meant the dragging through the water of a dredge net or other apparatus used as a fishing appliance, shall exhibit: (i) two all-round lights in a vertical line, the upper being green and the lower white, or a shape consisting of two cones with their apexes together in a vertical line one above the other;


(c) A vessel engaged in fishing, other than trawling shall exhibit:
(i) two all-round lights in a vertical line, the upper being red and the lower white, or a shape consisting of two cones with apexes together in a vertical line one above the other;

So it would appear that whether one includes purse seining in the "trawling includes other apparatus used as a fishing appliance dragged through the water" category or in the "other than trawling' category, the two-cone marker applies to purse seiners.

The only thing the seiners in my photos missed is the part about "vertical line." But I can understand why they did what they did, and I doubt anyone in authority is going to call them on it.