🔍 Key Concepts

• Towing bridle geometry and how it affects towing forces • Why equal leg length matters for load sharing in a bridle • When chain is useful or even preferred in towing gear

💭 Think About

• Think about how you would design a bridle so that the load from the tow is shared evenly between both legs. What condition has to be true for that to happen? • Consider what happens to tension and shock loads if the angle between the legs becomes very large. Does that make each leg work harder or easier? • Ask yourself in real-world ocean towing: is chain ever used in bridles and why might its weight and catenary be helpful rather than harmful?

✅ Before You Answer

• Be clear on how unequal leg lengths would affect which leg takes more strain • Consider whether a very large angle between the legs increases or decreases the load in each leg for a given towing force • Recall typical ocean towing practice: are wire and chain combinations common, and are they prohibited or encouraged?