🔍 Key Concepts

• Look carefully at how item G is connected between the towboat’s knees and the center barge edge • Think about what forces act on the towboat and barges when the engines are pushing ahead and when the rudder is put hard over • Recall the different roles of face wires / push wires, quarter lines, and fore‑and‑aft securing lines in a tow made up on the head

💭 Think About

• When the towboat goes ahead, where does its thrust actually push on the tow, and which piece of gear transfers that thrust into the barge string? • If line I were to part, what motion would the towboat tend to make relative to the barges, and would item G realistically stop a capsize or mainly control some other kind of movement? • When the rudder is hard over, which fittings would experience the strongest sideways load: the stern quarter lines (H, I), the face wires on the knees, or a central connection on the head of the tow?

✅ Before You Answer

• Confirm exactly where item G is located: is it on the face of the knees at the bow of the towboat, or at the sides/aft of the tow? • Decide whether item G is mainly handling longitudinal (fore‑and‑aft) thrust or lateral side loads between the towboat and the barges • Check which answer choice best matches the normal job of a central push/face connection between a towboat’s knees and the head of the barge string