43 



1 Begyndelsen fulgte vi den effcer "Challenger"-Expe- 

 ditionen givne Anvisning med Hensyn til Manøvren, at 

 sejle ud den liele Touglængde i Læ og lade Skraben træk- 

 kes af Skibet, eftersom dette drev for Vinden. Det er 

 ogsaa rimeligt, at denne Maade maa benyttes, naar Skrab- 

 ningen skal udføres fra store og fuldkrafts Skibe, som ikke 

 kan gaa san langsomt for Maskinen, som Skrabningen for- 

 drer. Dersom der Intet kommer ivejen, er det forsaavidt 

 ligegyldigt, hvilken Vej man vælger, men i modsat Fald 

 taber man meget baade i Tid og Arbejde. Naar man 

 skraber under Gang mod Vinden, kan man regulere Farten 

 efter Ønske og standse en Stund, hvis man frygter for at 

 Farten har løftet Skraben fra Bunden. Driver man i Læ 

 af Skraben, bestemmes Farten af Vind og Strøm, og tror 

 man. det gaar for burtigt, maa man fire ud Toug til ( )vér- 

 flod, hvilket senere atter skal hales ind. Sætter Skraben 

 sig fast, og man er til Luvart, behøver man ikke at fire 

 mere end nogle faa Favne, indtil Farten er standset, og 

 kan deretter strax begynde at hive ind. eftersom Skibet 

 driver ned mod Skraben. Er man derimod i Læ. maa der 

 fires ud en Mængde Toug. før man kommer paa Kurs og 

 kan begynde at gaa op mod Skraben. 



At faa Skraben los igjen, naar den har sat sig fast, 

 kræver ofte en besværlig og langvarig Manøver, der des- 

 uden ikke altid lykkes. Man maa hive ind til næsten op og 

 ned og deretter soge at trække den los den modsatte Vej 

 af den. man skrabede, da den gik sig fast. Da ukjendt 

 Strøm ofte kan være tilstede, nødes man gjerne til at gjøre 

 mange Forsøg, Lykkes disse ikke. staar det sidste Middel 

 tilbage, at kaste Touget til en Pullert, gaa forover i Ma- 

 skinen med fuld Kraft og enten rykke Skraben los eller 

 sprænge Touget. 



Det første Aar forsøgte vi et Par Gange at fæste 

 Otter-Trawlen etter Skraben, men dette viste sig ikke 

 videre hensig tsmæssigt. Naar man skraber. er Farten saa 

 langsom, at Otter-Trawlen slæber langs Bunden som en 

 Bundt Linegods. og sætter man Fart paa, saa at Otterne 

 kan skjære ud til Siderne og holde Trawlmundingen aaben, 

 løfter Skraben sig fra Bunden og gaar med sine paabængte 

 Svabere et kort Stykke foran Trawlaabningen. Den vil 

 saaledes rimeligvis bortskræmme den Fisk. der muligens 

 ellers kunde være fangen. 



Paa Expeditionens Rejser faldt der naturligvis adskil- 

 lige mislykkede Kast med Skrabe og Trawl. Det hændte, 

 at Apparatet ikke kom i Bund. at det blev iturevet i Bun- 

 den eller satte sig fast, at Skrabetouget sprang under Ind- 



a considerable portion of the finest mud had been washed 

 out. by allowing the trawl-bag to swing backwards and for- 

 wards in the water. 



Dredging from the "Voringen" was carried on at 

 first in the way adopted on the "Challenger" Expedition - 

 viz. 1>\ paying out to leward the dué amount of rope. the 

 dredge being then pulled along by the drift of the vessel. 

 This is perhaps theonly feasible method in dredging or trawling 

 from large ships of full power, which cannot reduce their 

 speed to the rate required for such operations. True. if 

 all goes well, it is upon the whole immaterial which way 

 is selected; but should. on the other hand. a niishap occur. 

 a serious loss af time and labour will inevitably result. 

 Dredging head to wind, the speed of a steamer may be 

 regulated at pleasure, and her way jmmediately deadened 

 should there be reason to believe the dredge is off the 

 bottom. When drifting to leeward of the dredge. the 

 speed will be dependent on the wind and the force and 

 direction of currents, and if too high, an extra amount of 

 rope has to he veered, which. of course, must afterwards 

 be hauled in again. Should the dredge foul with the ship 

 to windward, only a few fathoms will have to be veered 

 before stopping the engine, after which the heaving in may 

 be at once coinmenced. keeping pace with the ship as she 

 dritts down upon the dredge. < >n the other hand. the ship 

 being to leeward. a very considerable quantity of rope will 

 have to be veered before she can be brought head to wind 

 and steam up to the dredge. 



To extricate the dredge when jammed fast at the 

 bottom, is frequently a very difficult matter, involving hours 

 of uiiremitting exertion. not always accompanied by a suc- 

 cessful result. The rope must be ho ve in till nearly right 

 up and down. attempt being made to extricate the dredge 

 by bauling in a direction contrary to that in which it 

 was moving when the mishap occurred. Moreover, the 

 action of unknown currents will. by complicating the ex- 

 pedients adopted, otten protract this laborious work. Should 

 each in turn fail, there is nothing for it hut to make fast 

 the rope to a bollard head. and then, steaming full speed 

 ahead, either free the dredge by sheer force or break 

 the rope. 



On the first cruise of the Expedition. by way of ex- 

 periment. we sometimes made fast the otter-trawl behind 

 the dredge. and worked both together ; but this arrange- 

 ment was not found to answer. With amply sufhcient 

 headway for dredging. the otter-trawl will drag along 

 the bottom like a beap of cordage; and if. on the other 

 haud. the speed be increased. to make the otters diverge 

 and keep the mouth of the trawl open. the dredge. with its 

 hempen tangles, will be lifted off the bottom and more 

 along a short distance in front of the trawl-bag, scaring 

 away probably many animals, in particular tishes. that 

 might otherwise be captured. 



Not every east of the dredge and trawl was. of course. 

 successful. Sometimes. the apparatus would fail 'to reach 

 the bottom, or if there gét broken, or jammed between 

 rocks or stones; then again. we had the dredge-rope part. 



