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A crash course in how to make up to a barge, lighter, carfloat, etc...
by Paul Strubeck, for the RailMarineOps yahoo group.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/railmarineops/
It horrifies me to see some of these models built so wonderful, tugs, floats, lighters, etc..But yet, alot of times a tug will be
positioned with one and just sitting there, or it will be..gasp..literally tied to a barge. Here is a crash course in making up to a barge
and the different methods behind it. These are by far not the only ways but the common ones, and to make clear this is how I learned it and
had it etched into my brain. Ive never worked on a carfloat move (yet..), but have moved some of our current lighters and 30x90s, and
worked with people who have moved carfloats. So, this is just how Ive learned to make up to stuff. I'm sure each captain had there own
certain way. I learn something new every time we go to move something.
When your ready to make up to a tow, dock, whatever, there is a certain way to wrap a line up on a bitt/cleat. You do not tie it,
knotting a line, or locking it is strictly forbidden! When the line cinches up, it will lock it and you will never get it off.
A general note, A bitt is on a vessel, a bollard is on land (in most cases). Cleats can be anywhere. Bitts can be in either single or double fashion,
with or without horns. On a tug, the general arrangement of bitts is as follows: On the very front is the stem. Next set of bitts back
is the button. Next set back are the side bitts. Next set
are the quarter bitts. Then you have the fore and aft H bitts, and stern cleats.
This is different on some tugs, depends on the builders preference (and captains nicknames). On a bitt, behind it is what I learned it
as is a horn. Theres a hundred names for it, but I am calling it a horn. I have yet to see a model that actually included these, I made
them myself out of wire on mine. Certain tugs do not have horns, but it is rare. On boats without horns, most likely there will be
double bitts, and you would simply do figure 8s to wrap a line up. On an H bitt, you use the horizontal parts as horns. A note: You
always do at least 3 complete wraps (this has been etched into my head).
Wrapping up a line
A common bitt on a tug, with the horn on the inside.
How to commonly wrap up a line:
Step one: Take a round turn.
Step two: Go under the horn to the left, come up, and around the top.
Step three: Repeat, go under and around the horn again.
Step four: After doing 3 complete wraps, you can fill up the rest of the bitt with round turns.
