# Grateful for answer to question



## Boatman25 (May 17, 2010)

Perhaps the ex UTC or other tug crew could answer a question which has come up, the question is, " how did a tug release its tow in an emergency ( say unmanned tow started sinking )when towing on the towing winch ", when towing on a hook the hook was just released but if on a winch the cable would be attached to the winch drum, was the cable cut ?


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## A.D.FROST (Sep 1, 2008)

Try google lots of quick releases(pictures worth a thousand words)


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## jmbrent (Feb 3, 2010)

On a tug that was in for repair, on the aft deck was a pair of Hydraulic operated blades, which the crew said were for cutting the tow wire in an emergency.


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## Boatman25 (May 17, 2010)

jmbrent said:


> On a tug that was in for repair, on the aft deck was a pair of Hydraulic operated blades, which the crew said were for cutting the tow wire in an emergency.


Thank you for that, I thought there must be some way of cutting the tow wire


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## woodend (Nov 23, 2009)

On the big old style S.A.'n harbour tugs that had a coir spring on the tow
hook, the tow hook itself had an emergency release lever that capsized the hook itself thus releasing the complete towing arrangement. There was always a mark1 axe next to the lever. It was the cooks job to keep the axe sharp. Luckily I never saw either the hook capsize or the axe used in my 10 years on the tugs.


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## S.Moodie (Jan 9, 2006)

*Slipping Tow - from the Towing Winch.*

Hullo Woodend, Must say I am surprised that none of the chaps on United Towing had picked up on this. Can I start with running the Towing Wire onto the Drum on the Towing winch ? Usually a new Wire. Usually done in Port if possible. The bitter end of the wire is fastened through a hole in the 'cheek ' of the drum. It would be bolted outside with ' U' clips to lie flush with the outside of the cheek of the drum. The Towing Wire is then hove onto the drum under as much strain as possible to encourage a ' tight lay '. This ' tight lay ' is further encouraged by two stout chaps with Sledge Hammers hammering the wire hard against its neighbour - the previous turn.
This to ensure from the start that there are no ' riding turns '. The tight ' lay is further encouraged by the ' Spooling gear ' - a sort of travelling guide which runs backwards and forwards across the barrel
(hopefully) encouraging this orderly stowage of the wire. When the main towing wire is completely stowed say 400 to 600 metres - maybe more, the U Clips are slackened back - but not removed...
In an emergency IF the tow has to be slipped, the main brake on the Towing Winch is eased and the whole blessed lot is let free to 
run off the barrel - through the spooling gear - through the bridle -
in a burst of smoke and sparks - and loosing the Tow....


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## sam2182sw (Jul 24, 2005)

That's how I is done, I have fitted new wires on some of UTC tugs in the pasted sam2182sw


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## cueball44 (Feb 15, 2010)

OK, this is what happened aboard a Tug (Irishman) that I was on,early 70s. After towing a Rig on station our winch packed in. We could not retrieve the gear. The tow wire was stoppered off then cut by the Engineer using the acetylene torch. The Rig then used their crane to retrieve the gear then lowered it back to us on the deck between the tray and the chafing rail. It was coiled whilst being lowered and secured. We left the area then dumped the tow wire when the engines where stopped. The remaining wire on the drum was pulled off until there was enough to lower over the taff rail. The clip on the drum was loosened then the brake was released. The Captain ordered the engines slow ahead, we all got inside out of the way until the remaining tow wire ran out. There was some screeching, sparks and smoke once it came to the clip. Don't ask me why we dumped it all, I don't know and never asked (I was only a deckie). I can only assume it was to save time in renewing it after the winch had been fixed.


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## Boatman25 (May 17, 2010)

Thank you all very much for the easy to understand explanation, I will pass it on to my friends, I have learned something too, thank you again


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