BASIC TOWING #2

The Towline, the longer and heavier the tow­line, the easier the towing will be. A decided dip or catenary gives the same advantage here as in the case of a vessel at anchor riding with a good scope of chain. The weight of the catenary acts as a spring, preventing tension variations from being thrown upon the towline in sudden jerks.
Wire rope is used for heavy sea towing, its advan­tages being that it is convenient for casting off, takes up small space when stowed, and does not deteriorate if properly dried and oiled before stowing.
Nylon is satisfactory for light or moderate towing. It is heavy enough to give a good dip when used in sufficient length, but it is not too heavy for convenient handling. Nylon is popular because of its resiliency, ease of handling, and long life.
For towing a small ship in rough weather and it must not be overlooked that rough weather may be encountered in almost any towing operation the full length of an 8-in. nylon hawser or a 1 1/2in. diameter wire rope will be none too much.
A point of importance in towing in a seaway is to keep the ships in step. In other words, the length of the line should be such that the ships will meet the waves and ride over them together. If the length of the line allows one vessel to be in the trough of the sea and the other on the crest, the line will slacken for a moment and then become tight with a sudden jerk, if the ships meet the waves at the same time, the tension of the line will remain steady.