EMERGENCY TOWING ARRANGEMENTS

ETA on TANKERS

The ETA is designed to facilitate salvage and emergency towing operations on

tankers primarily to reduce the risk of pollution

 An emergency towing arrangement shall be fitted at both ends on board all

tankers of not less than 20,000 tonnes deadweight.

 Constructed on or after 1 January 1996. For tankers constructed before 1

1996, such an arrangement shall be fitted at the first scheduled dry-
docking after 1 January 1996 but not later than 1 January 1999.

 The design and construction of the towing arrangement shall be approved

by the Administration, based on the quide lines.

ETA to comply with the following criteria

Ready Availability of Emergency Towing Arrangement

 The aft ETA shall be pre-rigged and be capable of being deployed in a

controlled manner in harbour conditions in not more than 15 minutes.

 The pick-up gear for aft towing pennant shall be designed for manual
operation by one person taking into account the absence of power and
potential for adverse environmental conditions that may prevail during
such emergency towing operation. The pick-up gear shall be protected
against the weather and other adverse conditions that may prevail.

 The forward ETA shall be capable of being deployed in harbour conditions

in not more than 1 hour.

 All ETA shall be clearly marked to facilitate safe and effective use even in
darkness and poor visibility.

All ETA components shall be inspected by ship’s personnel at regular intervals

and maintained in good working order.

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 EMERGENCY TOWING ARRANGEMENTS

Requirements for the arrangements and components

General

The arrangements are in two sizes :

 - 1000 kN SWL for tankers over 20,000 tdw but less than 50,000 tdw .

 - 2000 kN SWL for tankers equal or over 50,000 tdw.

 The minimum breaking load of all the components is the double of the
safety working load (SWL).

The major components of the system are

 the tug or towing vessel;

 the towline;
 the pennant;
 the chafing chain;
 the fairlead and
 the towing gear connection or strongpoint on the vessel to be towed.

The system should facilitate ease of connection and should be capable of being
connected and released on board the towed vessel in the absence of main
power.

Towing components

Forward Aft

Pick up gear optional yes

Towing pennant optional yes
Chafing gear yes yes
Fairlead yes yes
Strong point yes yes
Roller pedestal yes depending on design yes

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 EMERGENCY TOWING ARRANGEMENTS

Location of strongpoint and fairlead

 The bow and stern strongpoint and fairleads should be located so as to

facilitate towing from either side of the bow or stern and minimize the
stress on the towing system.
 The axis of the towing gear should, as far as practicable, be as close as
possible to the center line or parallel to and not more than 1.5 m from
either side of the centerline.
 The distance between the strongpoint and the fairlead should be not less
than 2.7 m and not more than 5 m.

Length of towing pennant

 Twice the lightest seagoing ballast free board at the fair lead + 50 meters

Location of strong point and fair lead

Strong point

 Stopper or other fitting of equivalent strength

 Can be designed as an integral part of the fair lead

Fair leads

 Size
o Have an opening large enough to pass the largest portion of the
chafing gear, towing pennant or towing line The minimum opening
should be an oval with horizontal axis of at least 600 mm and
vertical axis of 450 mm.

 Geometry
o Give adequate support for the towing pennant during towing
operations
 Bending 90o to port or starboard
 30 o vertically downward
 The bending ratio (towing pennant bearing surface diameter
to towing pennant diameter) should be not less than 7 to 1

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 Vertical location
o To be located as close as possible to the deck
o In such a position that the chafing chain is approximately parallel to
the deck when it is under stress between the strongpoint and the
fair lead.

Chafing chain

 Type
o To be a stud link chain , 76 mm in diameter, grade U-3
 Length
o Long enough to ensure that the towing pennant remains outside the
fair lead during the towing operation
o A chain extending from the strongpoint to a point at least 3m
beyond the fair lead should meet this criterion

 Connecting limits
o One end to be suitable for connection to the strongpoint
o The other end to be fitted with a standard pre-shaped open link
allowing connection to a standard bow shackle

 Stowage
o To be stowed in such a way that it can be rapidly connected to the
strong point

 Towing connection

o The towing pennant should have a hard eye-formed termination

allowing connection to a standard bow shackle

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 EMERGENCY TOWING ARRANGEMENTS

AFT ETA

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 EMERGENCY TOWING ARRANGEMENTS

The case containing the pick-up gear flashing buoy and special shackle for
connection to the pennant cable is to be fitted on the rail or bulwark, close to the
fairlead.

The AFT system includes a cone bracket strongpoint, a pennant cable with
sockets, a cable drum with deployment control brake and a specially reinforced
fairlead. Strongpoint and fairlead structures are provided with base plate to be
inserted in the tanker’s deck, whilst the drum frame is to be simply chocked and
welded to the deck.

An air motor with reduction gear can be supplied as optional device for winding
the pennant wire on the drum.

The shackle connecting the pick-up cable to the pennant outboard socket may
be disconnected temporarily, only in harbour, to use the fairlead for mooring
purpose, under the Master’s responsibility. A member of the crew must be
appointed to take care of quick connection in case of emergency.

The pick-up gear case is to be opened and the flashing buoy will fall down to the
sea together with the pick-up rope, already connected to the pennant outboard
socket. As soon as the tug picks-up the flashing buoy and starts pulling the pick-
up rope, the drum, due to the brake, will pay out the pennant wire in a
controlled manner, until the inboard pennant socket, guided and tensioned by
the end sling, will match and stop in the cone-bracket strongpoint.

The tug can start towing safely, as soon as the outboard pennant socket has
been hauled on board on the tug and connected to the towing gear.

FWD ETA

The FWD system includes a bracket & pin strongpoint, a chafe chain complete
with a standard pear shaped link at one end and open end suitable for joining to
the strong point at the other end, and a specially reinforced fairlead. Both
structures are provided with base plate to be inserted in the tanker’s deck.

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EMERGENCY TOWING ARRANGEMENTS

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 EMERGENCY TOWING ARRANGEMENTS

Procedure for deployment Fwd ETA

(When unable to use vessel’s power)

Tug boat

 Throw the heaving rope of the vessel to the tugboat through the fairlead
 Fasten the heaving rope to the other end of the messenger rope on the
tugboat and then pull up the messenger rope
 Return the messenger rope to the tugboat by way of the chain stopper,
the pedestal roller and the fairlead roller, and then reel it on to the
warping end of the tugboat’s winch
 While reeling the messenger rope, pull up the towing rope on the vessel
where it can be fastened with the stopper rope and can be connected with
the chain
 Lash the towing rope with the stopper rope so that the towing rope won’t
drop loose
 Loosen the messenger rope
 When the load on the towing rope has moved over to the stopper rope,
remove the messenger rope from the towing rope
 Turn the tip of the towing rope to the chain
 Connect to the chain with the metal connecter (shackle etc.) fitted to the
tip of towing rope
 Fasten the messenger rope to the other end of the chain
 While reeling the messenger rope again, when the chain comes to the
point suitable for setting on the chain stopper, stop reeling the messenger
rope and hang the tongue of the chain stopper on the chain
 Slowly reel in the towing rope while getting the stopper rope loose. So
that the chain and the towing rope get tense
 Start towing

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Procedure for deployment

(When using the vessel’s power)

TUG BOAT

 Throw the lead rope of the vessel to the tugboat through the fairlead
 Fasten the lead rope to the other end of the messenger rope on the
tugboat, then pull up the messenger rope
 Reel the messenger rope on the warping end of the vessel’s mooring
winch by way of the chain stopper, the pedestal roller and the fairlead
roller
 While reeling the messenger rope, pull up the towing rope on the vessel
where it can be fastened with the stopper rope and can be connected with
the chain
 Lash the towing rope with the stopper rope so that the towing rope won’t
drop loose
 Loosen the messenger rope. When the load on the towing rope has moved
over to the stopper rope
 Remove the messenger rope from the towing rope
 Turn the tip of the towing rope to the chain
 Connect to the chain with the metal connecter (Shackle etc.) fitted to the
tip of the towing rope
 Fasten the messenger rope to the other end of the chain
 While reeling the messenger rope again, when the chain comes to the
point suitable for setting on the chain stopper stop reeling the messenger
rope and hang the tongue of the chain stopper
 Stop reeling the messenger rope and hang the tongue of the chain
stopper on the chain
 While getting the stopper rope loose, reel in the towing rope slowly, so
that the chain and the towing rope get tense
 Start towing

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 EMERGENCY TOWING ARRANGEMENTS

MAINTENANCE

 To keep the systems in good operating conditions, the following

maintenance instructions are to be carried out :

 AFT ETA system is to be inspected weekly to check the availability of all

components.

 If the bow shackle connection has been disconnected to use the fairlead
for mooring operation, the crew must check that the connection has been
carried out before the tanker’s departure.

 The battery in the flashing buoy must be replaced every six months.

 The drum brake is to be checked at regular intervals as per maker’s

instructions.

If the case content has been removed, follow the following instructions to
arrange the pick-up gear correctly :

o keep the special pennant shackle with abt. 5 m cable outside the case ;

o pass the cable through the notch ,

o jag the cable in "8 shape" coils;

o fit in the pick-up buoy, topside down, between the "8 shape" coils ,

o connect the end cable shackle to the bottom buoy eye ;

o pass the pennant shackle and cable through the fairlead from outside ;

o connect the pennant shackle to the pennant socket.

 Every two years :

o the drum brake is to be released and the brake band removed to
clean the drum brake groove surface;
o the pennant wire is to be checked, greased with standard wire cable
products and wound again

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o the brake band is to be refitted and the brake to be regulated as

above.

 If the air motor/reduction gear winding device has been provided, the
motor and the gear are to be checked as per maker's maintenance
instruction.

 FWD ETA system is to be inspected weekly to check the correct chafe

chain stowage and the pin securing devices in place.

EMERGENCY TOWING OF OTHER SHIPS

Although there is no requirement for tankers below 20,000 tonnes dwt and other
vessels to be fitted with emergency towing equipment, the owners / operators /
managers of such ships and the ships' masters need to have shipboard
contingency plans covering the connection of the ship for emergency towage.

These plans should identify suitable strongpoints and fairleads for towing, and
measures to prevent the chafing of tow lines. The plans should identify any
special equipment needed for this task.

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 EMERGENCY TOWING ARRANGEMENTS

CONTENTS OF EMERGENCY TOWING BOOKLET

Chapter 1 - GENERAL DESCRIPTION

1.1 General
1.2 Limitation during towing operation
1.3 Master’s response
1.4 Safety considerations
1.5 Towing preparations

Chapter 2 - SHIP SPECIFIC DATA

2.1 General information
2.2 Draft and displacement range
2.3 Anchor, anchor chain and mooring lines
2.4 Radio equipment
2.5 Power supply and steering equipment
2.6 Lifting devices
2.7 Deck tools and other equipment
2.8 Mooring & Towing fittings on fore mooring deck
2.9 Mooring & Towing fittings on aft mooring deck

Chapter 3 - ORGANIZATION OF TASKS

3.1 Staff arrangement and communication
3.2 Tasks and equipment

Chapter 4 - TOWING PATTERNS

4.1 General
4.2 Towing from bow
4.3 Towing from stern

Chapter 5 - DECISION MATRIX

5.1 Decision matrix for determining towing pattern
5.2 Decision matrix (if ETS is not fitted)
5.3 Decision matrix (if ETS is fitted)

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Chapter 6 - PROCEDURES FOR CONNECTING TOWING LINES

6.1 General
6.2 Towing from bow (Pattern F1 – if on-deck power is available)
6.3 Towing from bow (Pattern F1 – if on-deck power is NOT available)
6.4 Towing from stern (Pattern A1)
6.5 Towing from bow (Pattern F3)
6.6 Towing from stern (Pattern A3)

Chapter 7 - CURRENT STATUS

7.1 General
7.2 Damage and seaworthiness
7.3 Steering and propulsion
7.4 Power system

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