Fuel saving otterboards

A new otterboard has been designed by the Danish Thyboron door manufactures to reduce hydrodynamic drag coefficient and impact on the seabed, as well as to increase door spread. The results have been compared with a traditional Vee door commonly used in the Mediterranean commercial demersal trawl fisheries. The purposes are to discuss the differences between doors, observed during the engineering sea trials. The main results show that it is possible to design new otterboards with up to 15-20% less fuel consumption and up to 40% more door spread.