Insurance Wire

I'm going back to the 50"s and 60"s, although I assume this wire is mentioned on google and in books as the Insurance wire, the correct term should be towing wire is that right. As regards tankers the year I spent on such it was mandatory in most ports to have a line at each end to the waterline for tugs to pull you off the berth in an emergency, these usually consisted of mooring lines. As someone says there is no way nowadays that a present crew could pull off this very heavy wire the way it used to be carried. On offshore vessels was well used to handling wires of similar size but were always on power driven winches. We had a total crew of 38 deep sea and took nearly everyone to pull off and pass through after fairlead and to forward anchor cable for the purpose of making a lee for lighters. a 4 hour job at least. It is impossible to handle such size wires without mechanical power with present crew sizes on deep sea ships. However will have to read the new regulations in depth to grasp the new laws coming into force. These paper pushers must have a lifelong job ahead of them with all this new legislation forever coming out...Regards John Sabourn

#10 Believe Cappy does a good Tango. Went to classes with the wife years ago for ballroom lessons just to keep her happy. No way Hosea kept on falling over my own feet. She was a member of a Scottish and English folk dance group and used to go international, this group was also attached officially to a Morris group, going round the pubs with them was alright but didn't fancy the dancing bit. Cheers John Sabourn

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Originally Posted by j.sabourn

#10 Believe Cappy does a good Tango. Went to classes with the wife years ago for ballroom lessons just to keep her happy. No way Hosea kept on falling over my own feet. She was a member of a Scottish and English folk dance group and used to go international, this group was also attached officially to a Morris group, going round the pubs with them was alright but didn't fancy the dancing bit. Cheers John Sabourn

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go on tell the truth you just loved that little dancing outfit......and waving your stick for all to see...........mind it is amazing what the ladies can get us to do for them ........any thing now for peace ......the once leader of the pack ...now trots along behind but not all the time and can still growl but doesn't bite

Hi Shipmates, Came across Insurance wire on tankers, you had to use it to moor on some jettys and ports . cant remember which ones' too long ago? or my brain is slow ? not cheap wine , single malt...

Hey John, get yourself a metric to imp or vice versa calculator mate. Cheap as chips had one for eons use it regularly. Richard

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Originally Posted by j.sabourn

#10 Believe Cappy does a good Tango. Went to classes with the wife years ago for ballroom lessons just to keep her happy. No way Hosea kept on falling over my own feet. She was a member of a Scottish and English folk dance group and used to go international, this group was also attached officially to a Morris group, going round the pubs with them was alright but didn't fancy the dancing bit. Cheers John Sabourn

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Dancing is about togetherness, the steps don't have to be textbook as long as what you do, you do together, except in the tango, always found that being able to dance in the young days gave you the pick of the girls at parties, nothing better than holding a woman close and gliding around the floor or having a sensuous rumba, better stop now, don't want to get you too excited.

Togetherness.... Ivan have at this date and time been relegated to a spare bedroom with my time machine. Says its noise keeps her awake. When I think of all those years that a great thumping ships engine kept me awake (when it stopped) whats a little compressed air machine going to do. Before I got she complained about having to keep hitting me in the back when she thought I had stopped breathing, you can never please some, there is no chance the next time she asks me to take her dancng I'm going. Regards the Morris dancing dressing up as the horse and scaring the young girls was ok. the stick bits wouldn't be too keen on, would have to discuss with health and safety, keep on enjoying your dancing its great exercise I'm told. regards John Sabourn

The Homeward Bound Union Castle Mailship was in Capetown for four days. The Insurance wire was always used then for some reason. I never could figure out why. Anyone know why?

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Originally Posted by Colin Hawken

The Homeward Bound Union Castle Mailship was in Capetown for four days. The Insurance wire was always used then for some reason. I never could figure out why. Anyone know why?

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Colin two reasons
1 All the deck crowd had p*ssed off ashore and there was no one to attend to normal moorings
or
2 it was due to the surge the port experienced at certain times in the winter

Or the wire needed oiling. John Sabourn If some were going adrift could of started them off with the first few wraps and pointed them in the direction of the Del Monico, JS