Overboarding fixture

In an apparatus for the overboard launching and recovering of an elongate instrumentation array and towing cable from a winch reel, an improvement therefor is provided comprising:

• means disposed adjacent the winch reel for providing a fairlead for the elongate instrumentation array and towing cable having first bearing surfaces spaced apart to receive the towing cable therebetween and fabricated to present an abrasion-resistant surface to the towing cable and second bearing surfaces spaced apart to receive the elongate instrumentation array and fabricated to present a smooth protuberance-free surface to accommodate the elongate instrumentation array, the first bearing surfaces and second bearing surfaces of the fairlead providing means are orthogonally disposed with respect to the winch reel to reduce bending of the towing cable and elongate instrumentation array and the second bearing surfaces are elongate rounded surfaces and the first bearing surfaces are elongate rounded surfaces located coaxially outwardly from the second bearing surfaces and are rotatably mounted to selectably expose the second bearing surfaces.