🔍 Key Concepts

• Tow hook function on a tug or towing vessel • Importance of quick release in towing operations for safety • Difference between making up a tow and adjusting tow length

💭 Think About

• Think about an emergency where the tug must separate from the tow immediately — what device is designed to do this? • Which option describes a feature that would be critical if the towing hawser became dangerously taut or fouled? • Which choices describe tasks that can be done with lines, shackles, or fittings, versus a specialized safety device on the tug?

✅ Before You Answer

• Identify which option best matches a safety device purpose rather than a routine line-handling task. • Ask yourself: which job is normally done with knots, shackles, or bitts, not with a tow hook? Eliminate those. • Confirm that the remaining choice clearly describes a release function, not an attachment or lengthening function.