🔍 Key Concepts

• Chinese stopper construction and how it is applied to a mooring line • What happens to a line under heavy strain when held by different types of stoppers • Difference between safety, strength of the line, and ease of letting go

💭 Think About

• Think about what quality makes a stopper especially useful when you may need to ease or release the line quickly under strain. • Consider whether a stopper can actually make a line stronger, or just transfer/hold the existing load in a controlled way. • Ask yourself: does a stopper replace the need for a seaman to tend the line, or does someone still need to manage it?

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify whether any type of stopper can increase the breaking strain of a line, or only affect how the load is shared/held. • Check if a properly tended stopper can work without human attention, especially when the line is under varying strain. • Consider which option best matches real-life behavior: how easily the stopper can be slacked, shifted, or removed without seizing up.