Celtic Dawn II 1708H
Cruise summary report
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | Celtic Dawn II (742T) |
| Cruise identifier | 1708H |
| Cruise period | 2008-08-26 — 2008-08-30 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Stromness, United Kingdom |
| Port of return | Stromness, United Kingdom |
| Purpose | Fisheries |
| Objectives | Objectives
1. To increase the knowledge of the offshore crab stocks to the north of Scotland. 2. To tag Brown Crab (Cancer pagurus), of a range of sizes, from the north of Scotland for investigations of their movements. Tagging will involve using both high visibility double t-bar tags that are retained on moulting and 'cable tie' type tags, which will be attached to the claws of some of the animals. 3. To biologically sample all tagged Brown Crab for carapace width, shell condition, sex and reproductive state (of females) along with date, time and latitude, longitude, and depth of the return location. Narrative Staff and equipment joined the vessel at Stromness on the 26 August 2008. The vessel sailed during the evening of 26 August to fishing grounds approximately 10 miles west of Orkney to set a string of 50 creels, which would be hauled on the return leg of the charter. Once the string was shot, the vessel continued its steam to fishing grounds at the southeast corner of the windsock closed area. The vessel arrived on station early on the morning of 27 August 2008 and commenced fishing, hauling strings of 100 creels, working east along the windsock. On the 28 August, the vessel steamed to ground towards the middle of the windsock and carried out a number of hauls. These were completed by 2030 when the vessel began a steam to inshore waters (approx 10miles west of Orkney) to haul a series of other strings, including the one set on the way to the windsock. Hauling creels west of Orkney started on the morning of the 29 August. Several hauls were completed before problems with the tagging equipment (needles snapped) resulted in tagging being suspended. In addition, electrical problems affecting the vessel's navigation system and telex required attention and the vessel returned to Stromness on the evening of 29 August. FRS staff returned to Aberdeen on 30 August. |
| Chief scientist | Gareth Jones (Fisheries Research Services Aberdeen Marine Laboratory) |
| Coordinating body | FRS |
| Cruise report |  (0.01 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | North Sea |
| Specific | Orkney |
