🔍 Key Concepts

• Tripping: what happens to a tug or towing vessel when the tow exerts a strong sideways or aft‑quarter pull • How the location of the towing point (tow bitts, tow hook, winch) affects leverage and stability • Relationship between pivot point of the hull and where the towline force is applied

💭 Think About

• Picture a tug making a sharp turn while the tow still has a lot of way on—where would a side pull be most likely to drag the stern around and capsize the tug? • Which location of the tow point gives the tow the longest lever arm to twist the vessel around if the line snatches or leads abeam? • Think about where on the vessel a strong sideways pull would most easily overcome the tug’s ability to straighten up or power out of the situation.

✅ Before You Answer

• Identify where the tow point is usually placed on safe tug designs to reduce tripping risk, and compare that to the options. • Consider how distance from the vessel’s center of gravity/pivot point changes capsizing leverage. • Ask: at which of these locations would a line leading off to the side have the greatest ability to roll or spin the vessel if the tow overruns or sheers out?