New isle of wight ferry

[robpage]

Rule 24 - Towing and pushing

(a)*****A power-driven vessel when towing shall exhibit:

(i)******instead of the light prescribed in Rule 23(a)(i)*or*(a)(ii), two masthead lights in a vertical line.**When the length of the tow, measuring from the stern of the towing vessel to the after end of the tow exceeds 200 metres, three such lights in a vertical line;

(ii)*****sidelights;

(iii)****a sternlight;

(iv)****a towing light in a vertical line above the sternlight;

(v)*****when the length of the tow exceeds 200 metres, a diamond shape where it can best be seen.


So I would say that the answer to the question is the towed vessel doesn't need to show lights of course that's just from an engineering point of view

[j.sabourn]

The carriage of all lights and shapes by all vessels and seaplanes on the high seas was contained in the Rules and Regulations for prevention of collisions at sea. I used to be able to repeat them as had to for examination purposes. As that is now 55 years ago would be unable to do so today. Anyone with a copy of samewould be able to enlighten you. But my memories are that if the vessel is unmanned then lights are not compulsory, although do believe it was customary to show sidelights if possible also a white stern light. The towing vessel of course shows the proper towing lights as Robs statement shows and suspect he has a copy of the regs. . As mentions the length of the tow measures from the stern of the towing vessel to the stern of the last vessel towed. On which was based whether it was One or two vertical white lights above the masthead light. Also if the towed vessel was manned the towing vessel showed a white light aft for the tow to steer by if deemed necessary to do so. Many dead ships get towed unmanned however. JWS. PS the wording of the rules have probably changed today in any case, I know they have added additional ones. However a power driven vessel was deemed to be underway when it was not at anchor, made fast to the shore or aground. However a power driven vessel with no power is no longer a power driven vessel and is under the command of the towing vessel. However Rob if has the rule book is the best to answer the question. Going back a few years wouldn’t even have to think about it would just do. Cheers JWS.

[robpage]

I was wondering if you had the towed vessel as a manned vessel it would affect the insurance because obviously you have men at risk on the towed vessel .

[j.sabourn]

Rob in 1989 a good friend of mine was drowned in the North Sea , his wife got the maximum insurance that the North Sea companies had their employees were insured for , this I heard on the grapevine, his widow got 30,000 pounds not a huge amount to bring up a young family on. The insurance value on a new vessel would run into millions, I would have thought the insurers would have thought the risks of a total loss would have been less with a crew on board and would therefore lower the premiums on same. I worked . Whilst on leave for a couple of weeks at 56 Pilgrim Street Newcastle on Tyne , the home of moor Line Ltd. better known as Runcimans. I was shown the books, this was in 1960 The biggest deduction for tax purposes on any vessel under the British Tax system was Depreciiation on hiull and machinery. The next was Insurance which was more than all the others combined apart from depreciation on the actual ship. Needless to say the lowest claim was on crews wages, which was a pitiful amount compared to all the other claims for tax offsets. Insurance must be one of a shipowners biggest headaches. Needless to say in those years the average 10,000 ton tramp was quids in with just two cargoes a year, and most made many more than that. The NE shipowners also had their own P and I club to draw on rather than the bigger bucks of the likes of Lloyd’s when in collission in the plate about 1962 the costs of damage was a 2 to 1 blame ratio. This was done through the P and I club as there was no loss of life and no big screams for a full blown enquiry. Insurance in shipping I would imagine requires people with know how , and no doubt they are well paid for their efforts. Cheers JS. PS add to this the old maritime law that a derelict is open game for anyone to get a rope on. captain Carlson of the Flying Enterprise saga his reason for staying on board was obviously to stop anyone doing so legally. As long as someone onboard any would be salvor would have to negotiate a deal. Sounds like a good venue for Trump to be in . Cheers JS

[happy daze john in oz]

If the vessel being towed shows no lights, though there may be some on the tow line, what happens if at night with a light mist obscuring vision and another ships hits the one being towed, who is to blame?

[j.sabourn]

#25 When towing rigs they are lit up like a small town. When towing barges and ships the towing vessel is usually giving out securitay calls every 15 minutes or so , e.g. Securitay Securitay Securitay this is the tug Jolly Jack in position lat 56 05 n 03 12 e steering 033 degreees true towing a barge length of tow 500 feet speed 4 knots all ships please give wide berth. You would have your searchlight pointing astern on the barge. And would have your Aldis lamp or all round signal lamp to flash any ship getting too close. You would probably flash dit dit dah (U) meaning you are standing into danger. The same applies when doing a seismic survey you may have up to 12 arrays towing astern for 3 miles on the surface, you would also have a verey pistol for shooting off flares to warn other vessels to stand off. A seismic vessel really needs good watchkeeping apart from the person steering as he has all his concentration on steering and adjusting the automatic steering equipment as courses and speed have to be constant , courses within half a degree. Speed constant usually about 4 knots. Sometimes if your lucky the seismic navigators will take over the steering from down below on their own screens and leave you to worry about keeping other ships clear by warning them off. Bridge watchkeeping is essential on such vessels and none of this reduced manning crap. Cheers JWS.

[j.sabourn]

Ref. Above the 200 metres used to be 600 feet Rob. Just maybe may get back when come out of Europe may have to buy it back. Cheers JS.

[Keith Tindell]

Whatever the thoughts are on this, i wish them all the luck, seems to me that 17 days towing a lot of things could go wrong, especially if the weather turns against them in the bay. I just find the subject interesting, but my knowledge of the subject is nowt, kt

[John Arton]

I was sent out to Japan, along with a full complement of officers, to bring a wreck of an OBO into the main fleet from a Liberian subsidiary of C.P. it has very interesting history accident wise with no10 hatch cover having blown off and gone into the front of the accommodation along with a decommissioned US aircraft carrier under tow on its way to scrap in the far East, t boning the accommodation with its flight deck overhang. The transcript of the inquiry made for interesting reading and went like this.
Inquiry,,,Mr xxx( the 3rd mate on watch at the time), at what distance did you see the other vessel?
Mr. xxx, 10 miles sir.
Inquiry,, and what did you identify the vessel as?
Mr.xxx, A tug towing another vessel, showing towing signals ( lights).
Inquiry,,, So can you explain why you altered course to pass between the tug and tow?
Mr.xxx,,,I thought it was a fishing vessel
Inquiry,,, please explain why after correctly identifying it as a tug and tow, you decided it was a fishing vessel and so altered course.
Mr.xxx,it was shining a search light astern like all fishing vessels do to show their nets
Inquiry,, so when did you realise it was actually illuminating the tow line?
Mr.xxx, when it was too late to avoid collision.
Rgds
J.A.

[j.sabourn]

Keith think I put on here about a tow from the Bass Strait to the NW shelf in Australia forget how many days that was. Fortuanetly I got the rig end of the job and not the tug. Could of gone either way as were supposed to be capable of doing either. As tow master mostly consisted of keeping navigational watches on the rigs bridge or control room as more commonly known. The rules out here were any rig moves there had to be a marine presence on the rig. Depending on the length of tow depended how many seafarers had to carry. The oil company’s hated it as was extra expenditure for them but that was the law. The marine crew usually joined as the last anchor was coming up and left when the first anchor went down. Whoever was rig master planned the route to be taking primary and then it was the tug that did all the work. The marine crew were also once again there for insurance purposes. However coming across the Australian bight the towing bridle parted and we had to what they call ballast up the rig that is pump ballast out to bring the forward pontoon out of the water to be able to replace the bridle, quite a big job really. We anchored off Fremantle where they had some repairs to do and shipyard workers were flown out for two days and we were choppered off home for two days. Returning to rig the tug hooked up again and off we went only to have the tugs line part. The American OIM thinking we were going to be blown on to a lee shore dashed out and dropped an anchor unfortuanetley right on top of the telephone cable going up to Singapore. Give him his due he took full responsibility for it. Believe it took us over 3 weeks to get on location I directed the tug to the first anchor position and laid the first anchor , and we were all, the marine crew, were then choppered off as usual. The rig crew laying the other 7 anchors with the aid of anchor handling tugs. A good number for marine crews. Don’t know if same regulations still apply. CheersJWS