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Author Topic: Tug Fittings  (Read 5261 times)

Peterm

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Tug Fittings
« on: April 28, 2007, 03:15:00 pm »

A question to all you ancient mariners from a landlubber.   Tugs normally have two curved steel bars stretching across the rear deck, I think they are something to do with guiding tow lines, but do the lines go under or over?   This may seem a stupid question, but I have never seen a tug working.   Pete M
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SUN X1

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Re: Tug Fittings
« Reply #1 on: April 28, 2007, 05:02:40 pm »

Hi,
The tow lines go over the top, this prevents any fouling of the tow ropes on any of the tugs structure.

Hope that helps. 8)
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Peterm

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Re: Tug Fittings
« Reply #2 on: April 28, 2007, 06:44:43 pm »

Very Many thanks, Pete M
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bigford

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Re: Tug Fittings
« Reply #3 on: April 29, 2007, 04:05:26 pm »

do they have a name?? or they just guide rails?
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funtimefrankie

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Re: Tug Fittings
« Reply #4 on: April 29, 2007, 09:54:29 pm »

Tow Bow... according to the plans that came with my Canning
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bigford

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Re: Tug Fittings
« Reply #5 on: April 30, 2007, 12:31:46 am »

billings boat bankert refers to them as brass rod :-X
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Tom Eccles

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Re: Tug Fittings
« Reply #6 on: May 06, 2007, 06:10:24 pm »

I think that Charles would be a nice name but Towbow is the correct term ;)
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ddraigmor

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Re: Tug Fittings
« Reply #7 on: July 28, 2007, 11:57:28 pm »

Tyne,

In Holyhead Towing (on the deep sea tugs) we called them Tow Bows!

Depends where you are, I guess.....

Jonty
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bigH

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Re: Tug Fittings
« Reply #8 on: July 30, 2007, 06:02:37 pm »

 ;D  Didn't Rolf Harris have a song about those bars??? you know, the one that goes, 'Tow little Bows',  ouch !  bigH
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farrow

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Re: Tug Fittings
« Reply #9 on: October 22, 2007, 09:30:01 am »

In the MoD service and I believe the Thames area they were always known as towing horses, also where the towing junk rubbed against them we used to sew on a leather scotching piece, this was sown on wet and when it dried it shrunk on very tight.
Dave
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funtimefrankie

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Re: Tug Fittings
« Reply #10 on: October 22, 2007, 10:33:21 am »

, also where the towing junk rubbed against Dave
What's a towing junk ? :embarrassed:
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bosun

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Re: Tug Fittings
« Reply #11 on: October 22, 2007, 09:13:55 pm »

Hy in answer to the question whats a towing junk...
A towing junk was supplied by the tug and used as a Gog or as we called it a Kant, the ship would send down the tow rope and that was attached to the hook, the towing junk, usually about 5/6 inches thick was clipped on to the ships rope by means of a shackle, it was then pulled down to the aft bits by the capstan, (in my day that was all steam)  thus the towing point was nearer to the stern of the tug. I suspect the question was a bit tongue in cheek, but thats what we called a towing junk when I worked the tugs. By the way they were a sod to splice, but we had to do it as deckies, and we were only 15, gave us plenty of overtime though.
Bosun
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meechingman

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Re: Tug Fittings
« Reply #12 on: October 23, 2007, 08:03:25 pm »

My Dad always called them towing horses, too.
Andy
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farrow

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Re: Tug Fittings
« Reply #13 on: January 22, 2008, 10:24:34 pm »

A towing junk, is a heavy short piece of rope, pre nylon days it would be grass rope, one end went onto the tow hook, the other end the tow wire was shackled onto it. The idea was when the tug took the strain the junk rope would absorb the initial shock loading there for not parting the wire. All the old tugs would be so fitted and spare junk ropes would be kept by as different lengths of tow wire for different size vessels etc. The junk works in the same principle as storm springs which also are fitted with junk ropes.
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SS Daring

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Re: Tug Fittings
« Reply #14 on: April 10, 2008, 03:33:55 am »

Where I come from, they're called 'Strong Backs'
Somewhat rare around here though!
An 'Atlantic' concept, and a good one, untill you bash your head on one!! :embarrassed:

Cheers!

SS Daring
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ddraigmor

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Re: Tug Fittings
« Reply #15 on: April 10, 2008, 06:03:08 pm »

We used a gog saddle - usually solid brass. It was connected to a shackle, which was connected to a wire and - in our case deep sea - led to a capstan. You could tghen ease it off or pull it in as required.

Never jheqrd of a towing junk! The usual procedure was ship sent her line down, it was made fast to the bitts midships and a gog put on. On deep sea tows, we would attach the spring to a pennant that led from the bridle of the tow, and the spring was attached to the main towing wire. You could tow on the short nip - when we used a rope to take the place of the gog as you steamed out with the tow 'short nipped' ie. not at full length - but once you were able to, you streamed the spring out (22" diameter double natural fibre - usually Egyptian cotton ) and then put the saddle on, made the gog fast and streamed the tow to length.

Once it was at length, you attached two or three chafe guards to the two wire. These were lignum vitae sheathed by metal and rode the stern rail assisted by a massive quantity of grease as a friction guide. They were about a foot in length, tightened on the towe wire by four bolts. Sod iof a job if you were extending or receoveing the tow in diodfgy weather as you had to loosen the bolts and secure the chafe guards with lashings until you were at the length needed - and then fastened them. Not a nice job in the middle of the pond with huge swells rushing here and there and water up to your waist!

I know they were solid pieces of kit!

Jonty
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