deck equipment and marlinspike seamanship

Mooring Lines
Mooring lines are the lines used to secure the
ship to a wharf, pier or another ship.
Definition of lines:
Breast lines - Run at right angles from the ship,
control distance of ship from pier
Aft spring lines - Tend aft from ship, control
forward movement.
Forward spring lines - Tend forward from the
ship, control aft movement

Mooring Lines
1
3
4
5
6
2
Numbering of lines:
#1 - Bow line #6 - Stern line
#2 - Aft bow spring line
#3 - Forward bow spring line
#4 - Aft quarter spring line
#5 - Forward quarter spring line

Mooring Lines
DO NOT MIX MOORING LINE
Never mix lines of different constructions or material . Each type of rope exhibits different elongation characteristics and mixing will result in an unequal load sharing

CLEAT

BOLLARD

BOLLARD
Bitts

Ground Tackle and other Mooring Equipment
Chock

Ground Tackle and
other Mooring Equipment
Capstan

Rat guards

DIP THE EYE

Ground Tackle and
other Mooring Equipment
Chafing gear
Fenders

Ground Tackle and
other Mooring Equipment
Padeye
Lifelines - Lines erected around the edges
of decks, referred to as follows:
Top - Lifeline
Middle - Housing line
Bottom - Foot rope
Snaking - Netting rigged between foot rope
and deck.

Ground Tackle and
other Mooring Equipment
Boatswain’s chair
Leadline

Ground Tackle and other Mooring Equipment
Pilot’s ladder
Accommodation ladder
Sea ladder

Marlinespike Seamanship

Rope and Line
(classification and construction)
Fiber rope - Commonly called “line”, it is
fashioned from natural or synthetic fibers
- Measured by circumference
- Types of construction:
- Twisted
- Braided
- Plaited

Rope and Line
(classification and construction, cont’d)
Types of fiber rope:
Natural: Synthetic:
manila - nylon - Kevlar®
cotton - polyester
-hemp - polypropylene

Natural vs Synthetic
(cont’d)
Important differences :
Synthetic fiber lines slip more easily.
Synthetic line has higher breaking
strength.
Synthetic line has poor knot-holding
characteristics.
Synthetic lines stretch under load.

Rope and Line
(classification and construction, cont’d)
Wire rope - basic unit of construction is the
metal wire.
- Measured by diameter.
- Construction: individual wires are laid
together to form strands, and strands are laid
together to form the wire rope.

Rope and Line
(classification and construction, cont’d)
Wire rope (cont’d)
- Designated by
- number of strands per rope, and
- number of wires per strand.
- example: 6 x 19
6 strands per rope
19 wires per strand

Rope and Line
(classification and construction, cont’d)
Wire Rope (cont’d) -
- large number of small wires produces high flexibility but low abrasion resistance.
- a small number of large wires would stiffer, but more resistant to abrasion.

Rope and Line
(classification and construction, cont’d)
Combination -
- measured by diameter
- six main strands of fiber and wire rope interwoven, laid around a fiber core.
- used as mooring lines for extra strength
- fiber rope adds great flexibility and
elasticity

Small Stuff
Circumference less than 1 3/4 inches.
ID’d by the number of yarns (threads) rather than its size.
Marline - Two-strand, tarred hemp, used for “serving” a line. (Serving a line means to wrap it with marline to protect it from weather or to make it look neater. Most commonly used on natural fiber lines)
Houseline - Three-strand, left laid tarred hemp for light seizing, light rigging, and work exposed to weather.

MONKEY LINES

Small Stuff (cont’d)
Seizing stuff - Very small, used for fancier
jobs that marline can accomplish.
Ratline stuff - Dark brown and coarse, it is
primarily used for snaking
Tattletale

Marlinespike Seamanship Terms
Hawser - Heavy line over five inches in
circumference. Used for towing or mooring.
Bight - A loop of line or chain.
Bitter End - Free end of a length of line, wire chain or cable.

Marlinespike Seamanship Terms (cont’d)
Fid
Coil

Marlinespike Seamanship Terms (cont’d)
Flemish
Fake down
Heaving line

Marlinespike Seamanship Terms (cont’d)
Monkey fist
Rat-tailed Stopper - Line designed to take the
strain of a working line while shifting the
line about bitts or cleats.
Mousing

Marlinespike Seamanship Terms (cont’d)
Shot line - Light nylon line used in a
line throwing gun
Bolo - Nylon line with a lead weight in canvas
or leather, thrown from ship to ship or
from a ship to a pier.