Very interesting video of the USS New Jersey being dry docked for maintenance. Although not immediately obvious, she is being pulled in by a single blue line run from the landward end of the dock. The four tugs are positioning her. It's impressive how a single line with constant tension can shift a 45,000 ton battleship.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5cDqdV56ZY
Colin
Without doubt, impressive Colin, but remember it is a floating 45,000 ton mass.
Below is a newspaper article from 1999 about a rather robust Chap who attempted to, and succeeded in pulling a 3,500 ton RN Type 23 Frigate. The Ship, HMS Lancaster, was just beginning a Refit in No.5 Dock in the Frigate Refit Complex (FRC) at Devonport Royal Naval Dockyard. Normally, once the Ship has been aligned with the Dock entrance by a combination of Tugs and Riggers 'warping', two steel hawsers are connected from the Focsle to travelling hooks, one on either side of the Dock. With the bow centralised, two winches at the head of the Dock are activated and pull the hooks along tracks, thereby guiding the Ship in evenly. Once almost fully in, either a Tug at the Stern or Riggers using Hawsers would put the 'Brakes' on. The whole evolution is controlled from a windowed room looking down from the head of the dock, aptly named the "Docking Control Room".
For this Bloke, getting it to move initially was the challenge, but he managed 25 metres before collapsing. An awesome effort.
He didn't look too good laying on the ground afterwards though, as I can personally testify. That good looking fella in the middle near background with his arms behind his back is me!
Nige
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Topic: Battlship USS New Jersey being dry docked for maintenance. (Read 2718 times)