In order to attach the aft towline the ship's messenger line was lowered through the aft centreline Panama fairlead to the tug. The mate of the tug received the line and tied it to the tug's messenger line which was attached, in turn, to the steel tow wire. The aft mooring team on the cargo vessel took up the slack in the messenger lines and attempted to heave up the tow wire by hand. The tug's mate realised what the cargo vessel's crew were trying to do and indicated to them, by shouting and using hand gestures, that they should use a winch to heave up the tow wire. The tug's steel tow wire was 44mm in diameter and weighed 7.8 kg/m. While the use of steel wire ropes is common, a significant number of tugs usetowlines made from synthetic fibre. These materials are significantly lighter than a steel wire of equivalent diameter and strength and therefore can often be heaved in by hand.
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