🔍 Key Concepts

• Towing gear components and how they connect multiple legs of a towline or bridles • The difference between shape of the plate and location/number of holes for shackles or wire eyes • How towing forces are distributed when pulling more than one line from a single towing point

💭 Think About

• Think about which shape and hole arrangement would best allow several shackles or towing wires to be attached without them chafing or bunching together • Consider how the towing force should be shared between different legs of a bridle or alongside tow—what kind of plate layout makes that distribution smoother and safer? • Ask yourself which design is most commonly used in practical towing to connect more than two lines securely at one point

✅ Before You Answer

• Count how many attachment points (holes) would be practical for connecting several shackles or wire eyes in towing operations • Visualize which plate shape would reduce sharp angles and uneven loading on the shackles or towing wires • Verify which design would most likely be specified in towing equipment diagrams or seamanship manuals for joining multiple tow legs