All vessels including tankers are provided with emergency towing procedures specific to the ship as a requirement. These vessels are to be carried onboard the ship and are used in emergency situations. The vessels are boarded on the ship on the basis of existing arrangements and the available equipment on the ship. The towage company is given a copy of the procedure to ensure the early passing of information in the event of an emergency. Additionally, the copies are also stored in common electric file formats which ensures a fast distribution to the interested parties. The different classes of ships also have an impact on the desirability of the emergency towing procedure.
Pre-Tow Procedures
Command has to be given requiring the need for a tow in order for an arrangement to be made. The tow used is based on the understanding of the towed vessel at the moment of departure. This gives space for the proper preparation of the towed vessel to the sea. The towing gear must be prepared and assembled including lights, flooding alarms, and a riding crew if there is any. An inspection preliminary to the pre tow must be conducted by the tow command to prevent any misunderstandings and rework. Standards usually in the checklist can be compromised or a calculated risk tow granted on special occasions. However, the commanding officer must agree to all the calculated risks.
Check off list
A check-off list with the general requirements of the tow has to be completed before being allowed into the sea. Before the acceptance of the tow, the applicability of the different sections of the checklist is required by the commanding officer of the towing ship. A message or a letter can be used for the confirmation usually with all the concerned parties at a pre-tow conference. Acceptance of the letter or message should be acknowledged by then commanding officer. Inapplicable items or those that could not be accomplished should be forwarded to the towing unit for clearance. On the other hand, a receipt of the tow should be given to a representative of the receiving activity.
Activity Command
A final inspection of the towing ship must be done by the commanding officer accompanied by the preparing command representative. Additionally, a review is done on instructions and operational orders of the tow. The tow is signed and accepted by the ship’s commanding officer after which the towing rig will be assembled by the preparing command. It’s important for you to learn about the current capacity of tow truck read in detail about the dangers of improper towing capacity to ensure tow truck has the capacity to tow your vehicle.