🔍 Key Concepts

• Catenary shape of a towing line and why it sags between tug and tow • How the weight of the towing hawser affects strain and shock loads • The role of catenary in smoothing out surging between tug and tow

💭 Think About

• Think about what physically creates the curved shape (catenary) in a towing hawser between a tug and its tow—what forces are acting on the line? • If the line were pulled completely straight with no sag, what would happen to the strain on the hawser every time the tow surges or the tug changes speed? • Does the sagging part of the line only describe its shape, or does it also affect how load and shock are transmitted along the hawser?

✅ Before You Answer

• Be clear on whether catenary refers only to the shape/dip or also to its effect on strain and surging • Ask yourself if each individual choice (A, B, and C) is true based on towing practice, not on how they relate to each other • Before picking “All of the above”, verify that every single statement accurately describes something the catenary does in real towing operations