Length of tow ?

[Tony Wilding]

I saw a Photo taken from a Tug towing an ex RFA Ship to the Breakers,why is the Towline so long, ? they were a long way apart, and the Towed Ship appeared to be heading in a different direction, is there usually anyone aboard the Towed Ship assisting with steering, last question, where would a Tug stow that much Cable, must be a big danger of other Ships crossing between the two.

[Doc Vernon]

This Pic shows quite a long Towline sa well(may be the same one you saw) but i cannot explain why it is so long!
The other Ship in Pic if now too awake could have crossed and been snagged or worse!
Cheers

Ship-Pics: Recent Photos

PS I am sure that there must be someone on the Towed Ship (possible law issue)??

This Tow looks a bit better!
http://www.shipfoto.co.uk/images/201...Oct-2011-1.jpg

[Tony Wilding]

It was the Fort George i saw, taken from the Tug, i know entering or leaving Port the Tow is shortened, but the photo i saw she appeared to be a great distance apart, and on a different heading.

[j.sabourn]

Tony I always considered the longer the towline the better, it is only shortened when there is the possibility of it touching the bottom as the longer it is the bigger the cantilever or bight hanging down between the tug and tow. Was always short in port when trying to manoeuvre more. If the tow is manned there would be an advantage of the tow trying to steer also. Tugs or supply or anchor handling vessel as well as what is known as the gog eye have along the crash barriers, arresters to prevent the tow wire getting to a position abeam of the tug and thus being in danger of pulling the whole tug onto its beam ends. It is usual on long hauls to also freshen the tow wire by paying out a couple of feet of tow line every watch or so, to restrict the chafing of the wire on one spot all the time. I always liked to be well away from the tow in case of engine breakdown as tow still had headway where perhaps you didn't and wouldn't like him sitting on the afterdeck. As regards anchor chain for rigs etc. this was carried in special lockers usually abaft the bridge. The tugs own anchors being carried in the conventional manner. Also the longer the towline the stress on wire was spread over a wider area.

[Ivan Cloherty]

As John said in #4, the longer the wire on the ocean tow the better, the weight of the wire acts like a spring as one vessel falls into a trough and the other crests a roller some quarter to half mile astern and prevents the wire becoming taut and thus snapping Also the weight of the wire keeps the towed vessel under way so that the tug in most situations can maintain steady revs and progress and is basically towing the wire. Other navigators know a vessel is under tow by the shapes and lights flown by the towing vessels. What I found more dangerous from a night navigation aspect was those 800/900 supertankers that had their foremast and mainmast lights on special masts in the forepart of the vessel 45 feet apart horizontally and the port/starboard lights some 700 foot astern of the mast lights looking like two separate ships as sometimes after altering course and following the lights around to get back on course (in limited channels) you were confronted by a large accommodation block.

[Tony Wilding]

thanks Ivan, makes sense now, must be some length of wire, unless it was joined, a lot more to Towing than meets the eye.

[j.sabourn]

As regards tugs and towing, perhaps someone on site may have more available information than I have. As far as I am aware I don't know of any such for harbour tugs etc. but would rather believe there must be some. As regards deep sea towage there is or was a foreign going tug master certificate. With the introduction of new cert. structure what this is classed as now I wouldn't know. I knew 3 F.G. tug masters in offshore work. There was obviously more around as was a very desirous cert. for that type of continuous work. Anyone know. Cheers John Sabourn

[j.sabourn]

Tony 6000 ft. was nothing unusual ( almost a nautical mile) Always advisable to keep a dozen wraps on the towing winch in case of running away. Although the end was bolted to drum lip would carry away as the weights and stresses encountered can be very severe. Heard of it happening once. Also to keep winch in gear whilst towing and not to tow on the hope that the brake will hold. Once that wire starts running no brake will hold it, especially the windlass type band brakes most vessels were fitted with at that time. Some towing winches were also fitted with steel chocks or wedges that could be placed in position to alleviate undue stresses placed on the chiefs little baby (towing winch)i.e the machinery parts. Cheers John Sabourn

[Ivan Cloherty]

thanks Ivan, makes sense now, must be some length of wire, unless it was joined, a lot more to Towing than meets the eye.

Depends where the tow started in port or at sea (recovery) sometimes if originating in port, the anchor cable of the towed vessel would be run through the spurling pipe and then about 90 feet flaked out on deck with about 4/600 feet of wire ready to pay out when vessel reach open water, for leaving port the tug would attach her ocean towing line to the anchor cable and upon reaching open water both vessels would pay out equal amounts of wire so that the anchor cable was in the middle of the tow. Normally crew from the port tugs would board the dead vessel to pay out the cable on that vessel when handing over to the ocean vessel. Preparing for an ocean tow can be a long and complicated business from both a seamanship and insurance point of view whether the towed vessel has or has not a crew on board. The weight of the anchor cable would add weight to the towing wire allowing a shorter tow but still activating the spring/weight effect.

I don't think this method anchor cable is used any more because modern wires are so much stronger for the same diameter than they used to be and modern tugs have tension winches but the length of wire is still the activating item for a smooth tow.

[Tony Wilding]

just a quick question, should the Towing Point be FWD of the Rudder ?, the reason i ask is many years ago i was out in my Fishing Boat off Broadstairs, Ramsgate Port Control called me up and asked if i could Tow a Boat out of Fuel by the North Foreland Lighthouse back to Rmsgate, i was not far from it, my boat was a Heavily Built open launch, drew 3 feet, weight 3 tons, the other Boat about 10 tons , 32 feet against my 22 feet, connected the Tow line on my Aft Port Side Mooring Post, she would not answer the helm, only at very slow speed, was going round in circles, in the end as it was flat calm put some fenders between us and made fast alongside, we both steered, that worked.