Repair and Maintenance 



Expenditures for repair and maintenance vary considerably 

 from vessel to vessel. Condition of equipment, personal characteristics 

 of the vessel operator, aiid even market conditions, will have a bearinij 

 on money and effort expended in keeping floating equipment In good repair. 

 Some operators will schedule repairs on a regular "basis , others will wait 

 \intil a breakdown occurs before ordering major overhauls. When the 

 market Is weak, as during 195^f repairs were frequently postponed, as 

 reported to the fi^ld investigators of the Bureau of Business and Eco- 

 nomic Research of the University of Miami. The one ijhenomenon generally 

 observed was the greater attention given to maintenance tasks by ov/ner- 

 operators than by hired crews. 



Flshin°: Gea r . ' 



Pishing gear costs \irill depend on such factors as number, 

 type, and size of nets carried aboard, terrain fished, navigational aids 

 on vessels, and skill of crew, 



A 2-1/2-inch stretch cotton netting is commonly used through- 

 out the industry. State regulations goverrdng the mesh of nets allow, 

 in most instances, a smaller mesh (l-l/2-inch stretch) and sport fidier- 

 men trolling for smaller shrimp often use a closer mesh. Nets may be of 

 almost any size. Legal requirements and the size of the boat pulling 

 the net usually have some bearing on size. One hundred twenty feet 

 measured along the cork line seems to be an effective length for efficient 

 shrimping although some larger nets may be seen in operation. In the sum- 

 mer of 1955 netting cost about $3.75 per pound, Comraercial boats, with the 

 exception of smaller boats operating close to shore in the Atlantic, 

 carry at least two nets at all times. 



The durability of a net is dependent on the type of bottom 

 which is being shrimped and upon the skill of the fisherman. Experi- 

 ments are now being made with a nylon netting which is considerably 

 stronger than cotton. Nylon is more expensive tVian cotton but is light- 

 er in weight and is considered to be substantially more durable. 



Boat Supp lij3,3 



Annual expenditures on spars and rigging which in the Federal 

 Trade Commission cost tabulations are listed separately under the caption 

 of boat supplies can be substantial, as statements for individixal opera- 

 tions bear out. The high cliarges in such instances, may be due to the 

 peculiarity of the accovmting methods used by the vessel operator, 

 Tiiere is reason to assiuiie that at least a portion of the charge should 

 have been capitalized or transferred to a miscellaneous expense category. 



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