🔍 Key Concepts

• Towing gear used on inland push boats and towboats • The specific purpose of each item listed: tightening wire, securing a line, or releasing a tow • Typical equipment used to take up slack and apply mechanical advantage on wire rope

💭 Think About

• For each choice, ask yourself: Is this mainly used to pull wire tight and hold tension, or for some other purpose (like securing or releasing)? • Think about what kind of device would give you mechanical advantage to tighten heavy wire rope by hand on a towboat. • Which of these terms is commonly associated with inland towing operations and barge work on rivers?

✅ Before You Answer

• Match the device whose primary function is to take up slack and keep wire rope tight. • Eliminate any items that are mainly used to trip, release, or fairlead lines rather than tighten them. • Picture a towboat making up a barge: which device would the deck crew actually use to heave in and tension the wire?