TOWING 337
to afford the necessary elasticity which is lacking in the wire. Under
ordinary conditions of wind and weather this is safe enough, but for bad
weather a better arrangement is obtained by shackling the steel towline
to the cable of the vessel to be towed, and veering out a good long scope,
after which the cable is secured aboard in the same manner as if the
vessel was at anchor. The weight of the cable will cause it to form a
catenary, which will prevent sudden jerks.
It must be noted that the length of the towline is a most important
point. The longer it is the more uniform will be the tension during the
time of towing, the aim being as far as possible to secure a steady strain
and to avoid slackening and consequent sudden tightening. Therefore
no hesitation should be made when using the cable in paying out plenty
of scope.
Where a disabled vessel is being taken in tow by a steamer there
may be some difficulty in devising a safe arrangement for making the
towline fast to the towing steamer, as the bollards or bitts in the after-
part of a vessel are not usually fitted with the view of towing other
vessels in bad weather.
A steamer picked up a disabled steamship in the North Atlantic
and established towing connection as follows. The disabled ship
unshackled a cable from her anchor which had a stock and was secured
on forecastle-head. A boat was got ready for lowering to run out a
small line across to the rescue; heavier lines and wires were also in
readiness.
The rescue hove up cable out of the locker, knocked out the 15-
fathom shackle and continued heaving out cable, dragged the end
aft along the fore well deck, over the bridge deck, right aft to the poop
and passed the end through the after leads in readiness for shackling
on to the end of the other vessel's cable when it was hove up to the
stern.
Everything being in readiness on board both ships the steamer
was manoeuvred as close as possible on the lee bow of the disabled ship,
but ready to instantly go ahead should they get too close, both vessels
being about beam on to wind and sea. The boat was lowered, the
small line run across and passed on board, the rescue heaving in and the
disabled vessel bending on heavier lines and then a heavy wire. The
end of this wire was lashed to her cable a few links up, leaving the end.
and shackle free.
The cable was hove close up to the stern of the rescue and as quickly
as possible the cables of the two ships were shackled together and towing