🔍 Key Concepts

• Modified Christmas Tree towing arrangement on rivers and inland waters • How this method affects catenary and water depth requirements • How this method lets you handle individual barges within a multi-barge tow

💭 Think About

• Think about what happens if you need to drop off or pick up a single barge in the middle of a tow — which choice best supports that? • Consider whether the modified Christmas Tree is used to make the tow stiffer (more catenary/spring) or to make it more manageable in confined/shallow waters. • Ask yourself: which option actually describes a practical operational benefit that inland towboat operators would care about on a daily basis?

✅ Before You Answer

• Be sure you know what catenary means in the context of a towing hawser and why less or more might matter. • Check which options clearly apply to inland barge towing rather than ocean log tows or manning requirements. • Verify which choice mentions the ability to handle one barge independently without completely remaking the tow.