Sea Catch News

Note to Sea Catch users: If you wish to exhibit your Sea Catch application here, send your JPGs and a brief caption to John McMillan.

MBARI Elevator

News item 04-30-08: The MBARI (Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute) platform elevator loaded with scientific equipment during a deployment off the RV Western Flyer. Photo credit: Mike Conway © 2006 MBARI.

David Dimitri

News item 09-25-07: One of the most unique Sea Catch applications has to be the "Human Canon" act by multi-talented, Swiss artist, David Dimitri. David has been using up to 3 Sea Catch releases in his one man circus shows since 1999. One release is fitted to the launching mechanism of his canon which he releases himself from within the canon.

Animal Rescue Application

News item 08-31-07: A pair of Sea Catch TR7RL units are seen here holding a horse during a rigging test as part of a rescue training session by TLAER, Inc. of Pendelton, South Carolina. Picture by Tara Spachs.

Haaland Diving ROV Haaland Diving ROV to be deployed

News item 12-10-06: Haaland Diving, Inc. is preparing an ROV for deployment offshore of Santa Barbara, California using the Sea Catch TR3 for its release. The project included a pipeline survey and Level II jacket inspection for Venoco, Inc.

General Atomics Impact Test Rig

News item 02-09-06: Phil Marusek with General Atomics is shown here with an impact test rig that released 80k without a problem. The rig was fitted with a Sea Catch TR11RAM unit hydraulically activated with a hand pump.

Oil Spill Boom Handling/Laying Tow Point

News item 01-12-06: This oil spill boom handling and laying workboat utilizes the Sea Catch TR7LM fitted to an innovative multi-directional tow point.

Oceaneering Mooring Deployment

News item 08-29-05: Oceaneering is pleased with their deployment of a 72,000-lb mooring anchor using a Sea Catch TR15 with the release lever tended with a wire pendant for manual release as shown above.

Utah State University's TR7AIR

News item 07-19-05: This particular Sea Catch TR7AIR (a standard TR7 fitted with an air cylinder) has provided Dr. James Bay at Utah State University with a record number of release cycles. During a geological wave-generating project he and his team have dropped a 4,500 lb. weight well over 5,000 times. This Sea Catch was purchased by USU in April 2002 and was recently returned to McMillan Design for refurbishment. After the air cylinder was exchanged with a new one and one pivot pin was replaced, it was sent back to work.

Atlantis Diving & Salvage 1 Atlantis Diving & Salvage 2

News item 06-28-05: Gary Borton, owner of Atlantis Diving & Salvage Company of West Sacramento, California, highly recommends the Sea Catch. He is seen here using his new TR7 on a job by Tower Bridge on the Sacramento River. Working off his 38-foot workboat, Gary is placing concrete anchors weighing 300 pounds each to set regulatory buoys.

Siege Engine at Punkin Chunk 2004 Sea Catch TR7 Ready to Launch Pumpkin

News item 11-11-04: Sea Catch has become a popular release mechanism at the annual Punkin Chunk competition. Shown above is the Siege Engine Team's device (www.siege-engine.com) ready to launch. With the help of a Sea Catch TR7, Eric Ludlam and his team mates captured 3rd place in the Torsion Division. Other record launches at this event occured with the use of Sea Catch devices.

Ron Toms - Sea Catch TR10 T-Wrecks trebuchet hurling flaming piano

News item 08-06-04: A Sea Catch TR10 was the release of choice by trebuchet designer, Ron Toms www.trebuchet.com for his mammoth 40-ft tall T-Wrecks trebuchet featured on Discovery Channel in the first of a new series entitled, In the Name of Science. Ron is shown holding the TR10 which was put to the task of dropping a 9-ton counterweight to successfully hurl a flaming piano 500 feet. For more photos and information visit www.T-Wrecks.com.

US Army causeway - unit ramp release rigging US Army causeway - multiple unit assembly

News item 10-13-03: Sea Catch TR8s have begun replacing the aging releases shown in the deployment of US Army causeway ramps. The Sea Catches will be manually activated. The US Army anticipates the use of the Sea Catch in other applications as well.

USCGC Cuttyhunk

News item 07-24-03: Bollinger Shipyards, Inc. has begun ordering Sea Catch TR7 units to be used in the stern launch and recovery of RIBs on USCG 110-Foot Island Class Coastal Patrol Boats such as the USCGC Cuttyhunk of Port Angeles, WA shown above. Nearly 50 of these vessels will be retrofitted with stern launching systems as part of the US Coast Guard's $17 billion Deepwater Program.

Rigging Lifting Dropping Dusting

News item 05-12-03: A squib-fired Sea Catch TR7SQ is rigged above in a stunt by FX Stunt Team, S.A. for a Fear Factor television production. The device functioned flawlessly and repeatedly to the delight of the FX crew and production staff.

Rescue Vessel GAD RAUSING Vessel under tow Sea Catch TR8 at work

News item 03-31-03: The Sea Catch TR8 is shown at work for the Swedish Sea Rescue Society's rescue vessel GAD RAUSING for rescue and towing operations in the Baltic Sea.

Delta IV Launch 3-10-03 Delta IV Launch 11-20-02

News item 3-10-03: (left photo) Sea Catch was again utilized as part of the ground support equipment release for Boeing's Delta IV rocket today that successfully delivered a Defense Satellite Communications System Spacecraft, DSCS III A3 for the U.S. Air Force to a geosynchronous transfer orbit from Space Launch Complex 37B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
News item 11-20-02: (right photo) Sea Catch made its debut in the aerospace industry today as part of the ground support equipment release for the spectacular and successful first launch for Boeing Delta IV from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The rocket delivered the commercial telecommunications satellite W5 for Eutelsat S.A. to orbit approximately 37 minutes after liftoff. The Delta team is pleased with the Sea Catch performance and anticipates use of the product in forthcoming Delta IV launches.

Sonsub Jumper

News item 09-17-02: Sonsub's seabed jumper assembly is shown in the fab yard with two Sea Catch TR7s (at arrows) supporting items in the project. Suspended from one is a flow meter and the other is at the end of a chain coming down from the counter weight to the clamp on the jumper. The project is to be installed at record depths.

Sea Fury & Skiff Release

News item 06-11-02: The record-breaking TR7S Skiff Release shown is owned by Gregg Lovrovich, a salmon purse seiner from Gig Harbor. Aboard his vessel, the Sea Fury, Gregg has activated this device well over 400 cycles per fishing season resulting in thousands of releases. This unit has operated flawlessly despite its grueling marine environment, a testament to the function and durability of the Sea Catch product.

Swedish Navy testing Sea Catch TR7 Sea Catch TR7 release rigging

News item 11-22-01: The Sea Catch TR7 being tested for the Swedish Navy's rescue and tow operations. The hitch pin (shown in its safety position preventing inadvertent release) is attached to the release lanyard such that its removal can be implemented remotely via the release lanyard. Once this safety measure is removed, the Sea Catch is ready for the next pull on the lanyard which activates the release lever and releases the load.

ROV Launching

News item 02-14-01: The Sea Catch TR5 is used in the launching of a Deep Ocean Engineering ROV.

Pilot boat San Francisco San Francisco's RIB rescue boat

News item 05-03-01: Two new pilot station boats for the San Francisco Bar Pilots, the San Francisco (shown above) and the California each use a Sea Catch TR5 in the launch and recovery of a 16' Ocean Tech RIB rescue boat. The two pilot boats are designed and built by MARCO Shipyard Seattle.

USCGC Osprey (WPB 87307) USCGC Osprey Stern USCGC Osprey RIB with Sea Catch

News item 09-20-00: Bollinger Shipyards, Inc. has ordered 24 Sea Catch TR5s to be used in the stern launch and recovery system of an aluminum hulled inboard diesel powered RIB on forthcoming USCG 87-Foot Coastal Patrol Boats (WPB). The fully-crewed RIB can be launched in sea state 4. This order has come about in part to increased demand for the Sea Catch by crewmembers aboard WPB 87's already in service such as the USCGC Osprey (WPB 87307) shown above.