Ship Emergency Towing Gear Professional Mariner Forum
Why do ships still lack emergency towing gear?
Why is it not a standard practice to at least walk out an anchor with two or three shots of chain before abandoning a ship at sea?
The Modern Express remains adrift for the third day, after attempts to make up tow failed yesterday. The salvage team got a messenger up, but parted it, and the team had to re-abandon the ship before night fall. The team suffered one minor injury.
Tugs have had very simple technology, the Orville Hook, to grab the chain bridles or chain surge gear of a drifting barge for at least 30 years. Typically, the Orville Hook can be rigged and deployed, and recover a drifting barge in the first pass in less than one hour —without the need to put anyone aboard the barge. The hook is designed to grab and hold the chain. It does not slip off. The Orville Hook is strong enough to tow the barge.
The Orville Hook would grab an emergency towing chain dangling from a ship, or the anchor chain, in exactly the same way that it grabs a barge.
Why is it, that after 30 years of very successful use of the Orville Hook, that ships still fail to have and use emergency towing gear, or at least walk out an anchor before abandonment, so that the salvage tug can grab the chain to take the ship in tow?
http://forum.gcaptain.com/t/ship-emergency-towing-gear/15815
