Boatnerd Discussion Forum

hayhugh1 wrote:Yes, a heaving line is used, but it would be easer to heave one from the vessel down to the tug, then trying to get one up to the vessel.

Very true! If you blow the picture up, notice the 6th guy from the stern on the starboard side also has a heaving line in his hands. Looks like all the guys are tied off to a safety line running the length of the deck. Good plan!

Yes, a heaving line is used, but it would be easer to heave one from the vessel down to the tug, then trying to get one up to the vessel.

Yes, you are correct. The weighted line you mentioned is a knot called a monkey fist tied on the end of a rope.

Larry wrote:Looks like the guy on the right has a weighted cord/line that he is swinging around, hopefully to get it to the ship. I would suppose that once the small line was across, then gradually larger lines could be pulled across until the tow line could be brought over and attached. Does that make sense?

That is how it is done, yes.

Larry wrote:Looks like the guy on the right has a weighted cord/line that he is swinging around, hopefully to get it to the ship. I would suppose that once the small line was across, then gradually larger lines could be pulled across until the tow line could be brought over and attached. Does that make sense?

Yes, makes perfect sense. However the practice of attaching a weight to the end of a heaving line is frowned upon in the US due to safety concerns. But, you have to do what you have to do.

Looks like the guy on the right has a weighted cord/line that he is swinging around, hopefully to get it to the ship. I would suppose that once the small line was across, then gradually larger lines could be pulled across until the tow line could be brought over and attached. Does that make sense?

The story behind the picture. It took place on April 13th, 2008.

The salvage tug is trying to get close enough to the tanker Shinyo Sawako in order to bring it under tow.

A collision between two Chinese vessels has left three people dead and 13 others missing, said reports from the southern port city of Kagoshima on Japan's Kyushu island.

Tanker Shinyo Sawako, a vessel from China's Hong Kong Special Administration Region, and the fishing boat Lurongyu 2177 from the Chinese mainland collided late Friday on the waters some 350 km south of Takarajima Island, part of the Tokara chain of islands south of Kyushu, reports said, citing the Japan Coast Guard, who received the information late Saturday..

The fishing boat sank immediately after the crash, only two of its 18 crew members have been rescued, said the coast guard, adding that rescue and investigation efforts are under way.

Great photo. Is there a story to go along as well?

Do you Really want a job working on a tug boat?