Tug Forum
Tug Forum => Origins of Nautical Terms => : ddraigmor December 15, 2007, 10:45:22
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It appears that the majority of members on here have never done 'the real thing' in terms of towage, so here we go with terms used in the industry to assist you! Feel free to add others as you see fit.
Bitts - Posts, heavily constructed, used to secure mooring or towing lines.
Bollards - as above but mounted double.
Bridle - Two short lengths of wire or chain formed as an inverted 'Y' and used as the connection between the tug and the tow.
Fairlead - Fittuing in the bulwarks of vessels to act as a guide for wire and rope and which prevents chafing.
Girding - When a tug capsizes during towing. Occurs when the tow is abeam or at 90 degrees to the tug's centreline and the 'capsize moment' happens. Also known as 'Girting'.
Gog / Gob rope - Used in towing and controls the position of the main tow rope against girding. In some parts of the UK it is known also as a gob rope, a bridle rope or a stop rope.
Molgoggers - These are also known, in some parts, as Norman pins or Stop pins. They are steel pins or rollers that are erected in a tugs bulwarks at the after end to guide the towline and preventing it from passing ahead of the beam.
Pendant / Pennant - A short length of steel wire rope / man made fibre rope attached to a main tow line.
Spring - Part of a towline (usually only used on coastal, sea and deep sea tows) which introduces an elasticity in the whole length, and so reduces the loads used in towing. I never saw these used offshore or when towing rigs - but they were always used on the deep sea and coastal tugs I was on.
Tow beams - Also called Tow Bows in some parts of the UK - are protective bars running across the working deck which allow the tow to move without getting caught or 'snagged'.
Towline - The rope or wire that connects the tug to the tow!
We can do parts of a tug at a later date - but some of the terms I have used....oh dear!
Jonty
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Thank you for that Jonty, I will know what all of you are talking about now!!!! ;D ;D ;D
Mark.
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Jonty,
That is superb !
Cheers
TugMater
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Towing Horses were what we called them down here in Newhaven. Same thing!
"Tugmater"? The mind boggles, that's where all these little workboats come from, then. :)
Andy
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I see TugMaster has started on the Christmas cheer early - He's reached the stage where he can't even remember his own name ! ;D
Cheers - Kenny
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You have met him then!!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Mark.
PS Do you want to know what his nickname is??? :-X :-X
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Ok, OK you P*ss takers
I was on a few bevvies
Gota sort out that spelling checker ! ...for my own name !
Get on with the thread !
Faithfully yours
TugMaSter ;D
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Meechingman,
Towing horses, tow bows.....depends where you are in the UK, I guess. I'll have to ask Ray Jordan on SN what they called them on the UTC tugs.
Jonty
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No more Rum for TugMater. He's been cut off till next Saturday.
Don M.
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Me, allowed nothing to drink ....with my reputation ;)
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Now, Now! No baiting the Tugmaster.....
We hope we don't have to tell you why.....
8 )
[My very first emoticon and no smiley face!]
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I think it's because you have a space between the characters, Tugs.
Let's see..
:)
:)
8)
all typed in manually
Andy
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HI ALL ; How meany ROPES on a boat . And where is it located . PUFFIN
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HI ALL ; How meany ROPES on a boat . And where is it located . PUFFIN
There are NO ROPES on a boat! Once they cross the gunwale, they are properly called "lines".
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Here's one for you mates....what is a "Blue Peter" commonly used for?
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a blue and white flag hoisted by a ship when she is ready to set sail
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GOOD ON YOU CAPT. JACK , BUT THERE IS ONE ROPE , AND IT IS ATTACHED TO THE BELL.
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It is used to call the crew back to the ship prior to setting sail. It is a flag I believe.
Sorry Bigford, never spotted your post above..
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GOOD ON YOU CAPT. JACK , BUT THERE IS ONE ROPE , AND IT IS ATTACHED TO THE BELL.
Now I would have guessed that to be a lanyard, but that term really doesn't fit. A lanyard is described as a "line being used to tie something off." So, "rope" it is...I stand humbly corrected! :)
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a blue and white flag hoisted by a ship when she is ready to set sail
A Bravo Zulu to both Bigford and Footski, but that is what it is used for in port. Can you tell me what the "Papa" (or blue peter), means when a vessel is at sea? ;)
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An easy one for this forum. A vessel flying the "Zulu" flag means what?
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you need one of these ;D
(http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q162/bigfordf550/drjack-2.jpg)
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capt jack
Nets on obstruction
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capt jack
Nets on obstruction
Arrrrrgh! Too easy! I guess I'll have to delve deeper into my old class notes to stump you my friend!
Ok, your turn to come up with a "stump the coxswain" question.
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only thing i could come up with
what or where is Fiddlers Green?
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From the Colonies, the towing term "Hip Tow:" This places the towing vessel alongside the tow. It's useful in moving a tow around in close quarters, and docking the tow, where you can't get behind it. The USCG method is to locate the towing vessel's stern aft of the stern of the tow, to give turning leverage. Also, the towing vessel should be at an angle to the tow, with the stern swung out 15 degrees or so to overcome the sideways drag of the tow. The preferred side figures the effect of prop walk, so a right hand prop tow boat should be on the port side of the tow.
Four lines are standard, and are preferably applied in this order:
1. Bow line, a brest line from the tow boat's bow as near perpendicular as possible.
2. Towing strap, a spring line from forward on the towing vessel to near the stern of the tow.
3. Stern line, a brest line at the sterns of the vessels.
4. Reversing spring, from aft on the towing vessel leading forward to the tow.
All lines are made up bar taut, except the stern line. This is the secret to controlling the tow while turning and backing. Lotsa fenders between the two vessels.
Dave
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only thing i could come up with
what or where is Fiddlers Green?
an imaginary "heaven" thought up by those ne'er do well seafarers that figured they couldn't get into the Christian version of heaven. Most of Custers 7th Army cavalry soldiers also reside in this place, I'm told.
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Ah...the infamous hip tow. One more box to be checked off as part of our Coxswains certification, right?
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Ok, a tougher question, and I'll use the slang that you'd likely here on the bridge:
What is a mo-board?
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Maneuvering Board
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Yes, Captain Jack, hip tow checkoff is a biggie on the CX list. IF I was still active in the CG Aux, and IF I still lived in your neck of the woods, I coulda checked you off. I taught and checked off probably 2 or 3 dozen CX candidates over the years. But I'm Retired from the Aux now. It became not fun with all the constant moves toward LE and HS.
Dave
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Maneuvering Board
Former Navy by any chance?
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Very true true, Dave. When I went out into the gulf 35 miles in a 21' center console, and after calculating set and drift from datum, searched for five hours, and after finding stricken vessels, I was told by Station ****** that I was not to take the vessel in tow, but to stand by for another three hours and wait for a commercial salvage operator to arrive, I too decided I'd had enough. Since that time I've devoted my volunteer efforts to my local fire department, and have now become a senior member with well over a thousand calls under my belt! It's the one place I've found where we do indeed "fight like we train" on a daily basis. And the best part is, someone says "thank you" every once in awhile.
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An illustration of the hip tow, using my new barge and Springer tug.
Dave
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capt jack
landlubber here, just fast with google ;D
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Time to revive this thread...if a vessel approaching you bow to bow, what are is intentions if he blows two whistles? (Horn toots, excetera)
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[THE BLUE PETER IS THE P FLAG OF INTERNATIONAL CODES . I'M ABOUT TO SAIL. It is a blue flag with a white square in the centre of it . PUFFIN
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]HI CAPTAIN JACK ; The reason for that is once you put a tow line on the vessel you are responsible for vessel and crew . PUFFIN
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Time to revive this thread...if a vessel approaching you bow to bow, what are is intentions if he blows two whistles? (Horn toots, excetera)
HI CAPTAIN JACK ; Is there clear vissability or resticted visability ?
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Jonty,
That is superb !
Cheers
TugMater HI TUG MASTER ; Next time you have a few too many . Have a lapel pin made with I , L , 2 and display it on your port side lapel . PUFFIN
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Two short blasts when meeting head on indicates an intention to pass starboard-to-starboard, like they drive in jolly old England. Or it means "I am directing my course to port."
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Hi Folks
If all ropes on board are lines, when do they become hawsers????
Mark
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HI JARVO , THERE IS ONE ROPE ON A BOAT ? WHERE IS LOCATED ? PUFFIN
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hi glen good to hear you would it be the anchor rope? tow rope? regards ray
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HI RAY , The only rope on a boat is on the bell all other are lines or hawsers . ha ha ha puffin
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What about the anchor rode??????
:P
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anchor rode on a tug is chain . puffin