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Purse
boats are used to set the net on schools of menhaden. They are
aluminum with an open-construction design, approximately 40 feet
long and 11-12 feet wide. Purse boats are capable of speeds
from five to eight knots. Two purse boats are deployed to set a
net; each boat carries half the net.
 Traditionally,
purse boats have been carried (supported) on davits on either side
of the stern of the steamer. Embarkation and disembarkation
by purse boat crews can be time-consuming, especially in rough
weather. A recent trend in fleet construction and renovation has
been to support and carry purse boats on inclined ramps on the
stern of the steamer vessels. Alternately, some vessels use
pivoting davits that rest purse boats 
inboard on cradles. Both
innovations expedite boarding and disembarking the purse
boats, along with making the task safer for the crew. Although
quantitative information is not yet available, stern ramps have
probably improved fishing efficiency; that is, shortened time required to launch and
retrieve purse boats. Use of stern ramps has probably
increased the number of sets a crew can make in a day and may give
a vessel an advantage when fishing for a target school over a
competing vessel.
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