🔍 Key Concepts

• 46 CFR requirements for towing equipment and towlines on inspected towing vessels • Why permanent wire clips (wire rope clips) can be a safety concern on a working towline • Good practice for towline terminations: spliced eyes with thimbles and poured sockets

💭 Think About

• Look at which options describe generally accepted good practice for a primary towline on a towing vessel and ask: which one would regulators be most likely to DISALLOW as a normal condition? • Think about the difference between a line being ready for immediate safe use versus a line that has a built‑in weak point or a non‑ideal long‑term repair. • Ask yourself: which choice sounds more like a temporary or emergency measure instead of a permanently acceptable condition on a regularly used towline?

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify which option involves hardware that is normally limited to temporary repairs on wire rope rather than permanent installations. • Check which answers clearly match standard towline end fittings: spliced eye with thimble and poured socket are both widely accepted terminations. • Confirm that the exception is the one that would NOT be required for a towline to be considered properly maintained, safely rigged, and ready for immediate use.