🔍 Key Concepts

• Function of chocks on a towing vessel or barge • How towlines are led from the tug to the tow and where they pass through fittings • Difference between devices that guide/protect a line vs. devices that secure or absorb shock

💭 Think About

• Think about the physical location of chocks on a tug or barge: are they usually on the edge (bulwark/rail) or farther inboard? What does that suggest about their purpose? • Ask yourself which fitting is normally used specifically to fasten or tie off the end of a towline (name that fitting) and see if that matches any option. • Consider which type of equipment is designed to absorb shock loads in towing (hint: usually more complex than a simple metal fitting in the bulwark).

✅ Before You Answer

• Visualize the shape and position of a chock and how a towline passes through it relative to the hull or bulwark. • Identify which choice describes what a bitt/cleat/winch would do rather than what a chock does. • Eliminate any option that describes energy absorption or final securing of the line, and focus on what helps guide and protect the line during towing.