Winches

Scientific winches are central to the ability of a research vessel to conduct science at sea. They are used to lower and raise instruments, attached by wire, from the ship. Research ships are fitted with both portable winch systems and permanently fitted systems.

Scientific winches are used to:

Lower sensor packages such as Conductivity, Temperature & Depth (CTD) sensors through the water column;
Lower coring systems to the seabed to obtain samples from the seabed and sub-seabed;
Tow platforms such as the Towed Ocean Bottom Instrument (TOBI) for seabed mapping;
Tow undulating sensor platform to measure water properties while underway;
Tow deep-sea trawling and net systems.

Winches supported by National Marine Facilities include:

Metal-free CTD winches

10 km rope winch

Double barrel winch

Seismic streamer winch

General purposes winches

Portable winches