🔍 Key Concepts

• Chafing gear purpose and how it affects a line’s ability to move or ‘slip’ • What equipment or arrangement is designed to let the tow hawser automatically pay in and out under varying load • How a gob rope, swivel, or H‑bitt changes the way the hawser moves or stays fixed

💭 Think About

• Ask yourself: In which setup does the hawser NEED to move freely, with minimal extra friction or stiffness added? • For each choice, decide whether the hawser is expected to stay mostly fixed in one place, or to constantly adjust its length under varying strain. • Think about where chafing gear is usually placed (over rails, chocks, fairleads) and how that might interfere with equipment that senses or adjusts line tension.

✅ Before You Answer

• Identify which option involves a device that automatically adjusts line tension by letting the hawser slip under load. • For each option, decide if adding chafing gear would block or interfere with the designed movement of the hawser. • Confirm in your mind which arrangements (gob rope, swivel, H‑bitt) mainly hold or guide the line, versus which one must let it move continuously.