Heaving Lines etc

[corrientes]

Great things, Monkey's Fists. I think they are banned indeed.
I recall making several visits to Foynes in the River Shannon. There was a linesman there, big burly type, who had his own heaving line rather than deal with one sent from the ship. I have never in my life seen a missile sent so accurately and with such impetus. He never looked like he was trying to throw anything but believe me, that line snaked directly at the nearest body on deck like an exocet.

[Gulliver]

I have a Department of Trade, Code of Safe Working Practices for Merchant Seamen, DATE 1978.
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I cannot find any mention of Heaving Lines in it.
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Just checked again, The words Heaving Line is definately not in or mentioned.
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SO since the UK and Maritime Coast Guard Agency took over they must have dicovered that after a million years of Seafaring there is a problem with throwing them.
Well I never. all the years I spent at sea I was in danger, I would never have joined if I had known.
Cheers
Brian.

Right on Brian.
As appointed ‘Safety Officer’ on ships in the 70’s/80’s I remember when H & S had reared it’s head, having to use that publication as reference material.Other safety representatives of the other departments- deck crew,engineers and catering also had one-but they invariably disappeared- just like all shiny, fairly thick reading material(on whatever subject ! ) tended to do at sea.

The problem was,I suppose,that apart from being useful to a ‘newbie’,who would doubtless have studied it anyway whilst at pre-sea school- it was full of much ‘stuff’ we all knew about anyway,just like the Highway Code I suppose,when after you pass your driving test you can throw it away or forget about it…

The latest equivalent of the Code states this:-
　
The United Kingdom Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) publication "Code of Safe Working Practices for Merchant Seamen", Section 25.3.2, states that "Vessel's heaving lines should be constructed with a "monkey's fist" at one end. To prevent personal injury, the "fist" should be made only with rope and should not contain added weighting material".
If a weighted heaving line is used, the monkey's fist or additional weight risks being cut off by the linesmen or the tug crew before the heaving line is returned to the vessel. Moreover, some ports prohibit the use of additional heavy material and vessels may be fined for breaching local regulations if a weighted end is used.

ILLUSTRATION HERE (Click)

Gulliver
　
　

[John Pruden]

doesn't anyone use good old fashioned common sense any more??? in the workplace if you thought it was a bit dodgy you took a bit more care. i drove a tower crane for a year erecting and stripping one down you would never see anyone from the health and safety until every thing was on the ground have they gone to far when do you say stop there is danger in any job if you don't take care and use common sense?JP

[Ivan Cloherty]

ILLUSTRATION HERE (Click)

The bit I liked "The operation should only proceed if the area where the heaving line will land is clear of personnel" kind of defeats the object of the exercise doesn't it, who the hell writes this tripe and have they ever been to sea and know the supposed function of a heaving line. Do they think the MF (use your own interpretation) is going to stay on the quay until a safety assessment has been carried out to see if its safe to pick it up.

[Les Woodard]

Where do they stand with their guidelines in a situation that we had in Dunkirk. We where taken to the locks on a Blue Star ship and as they lowered the water in the lock the fog came down. As the ship had no radar the pilot refused to take us out so they flooded the lock again but the fog was so thick that it was a pea souper. Now where is elf and safety when you are throwing heaving lines at where you think someone is that can not see it land unless you hit them. It was a bloody farce tying up in those conditions and in fact had problems even finding the right berth. My problem with H&S is that they are so rigid and do not allow for situations like this where intuition is called for.

[Peter Trodden]

Has anyone been on the Ferry 'cross the Mersey lately? Now there's a heaving line. Its about 5ft long and the Deckhand throws it under arm to the Stagehand who is standing 4ft away when the Ferry comes along side. The Stagehand then places the bight of the mooring rope on the bollard and walks away---Job Done.