TOWING SYSTEMS IN A SEAWAY

The increase in ocean towing operations in recent years has resulted in a corresponding increase in the number of severe accidents, the main cause of which is considered to be a lack of practical knowledge of the dynamics of a tug/tow system in a seaway. The ship research department of Wilhelm Pieck University has investigated a number of these accidents with the aim of establishing causes and developing improved operational procedures for towing. The conclusions from this work are summarised and discussed in the two main parts of this paper: 1) power capabilities of tugs in a seaway - development of diagrams for tug captains and operators, 2) reaction analyses of tug/tow systems; calculation procedures for solution of the dynamics of towing cables. The paper concludes with some discussion of the application of dimensioning diagrams in towing operations.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Seewirtschaft, 19 (1987), p. 434 (Sept.) [5 pp., 17 ref., 7 fig.]
• Authors:
  • Gatzer, H
  • Messerschmidt, W
  • Liensdorf, M
• Publication Date: 1987

Language

• German

Subject/Index Terms

• Old TRIS Terms: Cable dynamics; Towing tugs
• Subject Areas: Marine Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00692670
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: British Maritime Technology
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 14 1995 12:00AM