Limiting Heavy Lifting
When it comes to full or biofouled cages, it can be difficult or even impossible to lift and hold cages out of the water. At the Nauti Sisters Sea Farm, the Gaiero sisters developed an innovative way to lift cages with a winch. The system decreases the heavy lifting needed on the farm and helps reduce the physical strength required to work in the oyster industry.
Women on the Working Waterfront
Nauti Sisters Sea Farm is a female-owned company whose employees pride themselves on promoting women on the working waterfront. In an industry often dominated by men, the Nauti Sisters crew emphasizes the importance of women aquaculturists.
Alicia Gaiero, the founder of Nauti Sisters, will be the first to tell you that her female-only oystering crew can’t always lift the heaviest cages. But there’s no reason that anyone working on an oyster farm, regardless of gender, should need to lift those cages anyway. The solution her team came up with makes use of their on-board winch and some creative design to eliminate the heavy lifting from one of the most backbreaking jobs on an oyster farm.
How the Winch Harvester Works
The hauler consists of two modified and strengthened boat hooks, which are attached to lines that can be pulled up by the winch. On the gunwale of the boat are two cam cleats (so named because they’re made up of two rotating cams) and two short sections of rope fastened to the gunwale that are used to secure the cage once it’s lifted up.
To raise a cage, one person hooks the cage with the boat hooks, while another uses the winch to raise the cage out of the water. Once it’s high enough, the cage can be secured to the boat using the short sections of rope and cam cleats. When the cage is secured, the hooks can be removed and the cage is ready for harvesting, deploying, or other tasks like repairing broken gear.
To put the cage back in the water, the tension is removed from the ropes by lifting the cage back up with the boat hooks and winch, then the lines on the side are removed and the cage is lowered back into the water.
This system also works well for flipping cages. After the cage is lifted up with the winch, someone uses another boat book to grab the bottom side of the cage and pull it up. This flips the cage up for drying, which is usually one of the most awkward and time-consuming jobs on the farm.
The Benefits of Cages
Before they started using the winch harvesting system, the Nauti Sisters crew preferred working with floating bags because they were more manageably sized. But after developing this winch-based system, cages all of a sudden became a much more attractive option. When compared to floating bags, cages offer better biofouling control, easier maintenance, and the ability to hold more oysters per surface area of water. By eliminating the need to lift the heaviest cages, the Nauti Sisters crew could make the most of cage-based aquaculture without dealing with the downsides.
More Voices, More Innovation
Nauti Sisters Sea Farm is at the forefront of changing the narrative about the gender gap on the working waterfront. A big part of that mission includes having a range of experiences and people on the farm. Allowing more voices to be heard in the aquaculture community sparks innovation and advancement as people question why things operate the way that they do. The winch harvester is a great example of how to cultivate oysters in ways that meet the needs of the people who grow them.
Innovations articles highlight creative devices or methods on aquaculture farms. They are informed by farm visits and interviews with experienced growers. See our About page for more information.