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Welcome to the the spreadsheet for Towing Equipment and Towing Bridle selection

What does this Excel Sheet do?

This Excel sheet helps you design/select the towing bridle and other towing equipment for a vessel whose Tug's Bollard Pull is known
Towing Bridle comprises of the accessories which are used on the vessel to connect it to the tug.
Wire/Chain Bridle
Delta Plate
Intermediate Pennant
Bridle Shackles
Besides, it also covers
Towline Strength check
Towline Shackles
Fairleads
Emergency Towing Equipment
How to use this Excel Sheet
The user is asked for the required minimum Bollard Pull for the vessel. The Input cells are highlighted in blue.
The user has to provide all the inputs highlighted in blue.
The Bollard Pull required for input can be determined from another spreadsheet on www.thenavalarch.com. See link here
Once all inputs are provided, the spreadsheet will evaluate the Breaking Loads required for different components.
Once the Breaking Load of a component is known, its appropriate model can be selected

Limitations
Suitable for vessels with Bollard Pull < 280 MT
Not to be used for vessels operating in Ice

References www.thenavalarch.com
1. Nobledenton Guidelines for Marine Transportation, ND-0030 Rev 5
For feedbacks, write to thenavalarch@gmail.com OR info@thenavalarch.com
 TOWING BRIDLE DESIGN SPREADSHEET

INPUTS
*MBL = Minimum Breaking Load
Parameter Symbol Value Unit
Continuous Static Bollard Pull of the actual Tug BP 50 MT
TOWLINE PROPERTIES
Type of Towage(1 - Normal Towage, 2 - Benign and Sheltered Towages, 3-
Coastal Towage with good weather forecast) 1
Towline MBL TBL 180 MT
Deployable Towline Length - with one pennant DTL 700 m
TOWING BRIDLE PROPERTIES
MBL of Towing bridle leg (See Item 1 in Fig 1) 180 MT
MBL of Chafe Chain (See Item 2 in Fig 1) 180 MT
Bridle Apex Angle 60 degrees

MBL of Bridle Apex (Delta Plate or Towing Ring) - See Item 3 in Fig 1) 180 MT
INTERMEDIATE WIRE PENNANT
Parameter Symbol Value Unit

MBL of Intermediate Wire Pennant - See Item 4 in Fig 1 180

Is the Intermediate Wire Pennant used as a 'Fuse' or "Weak Link'? 1 for 'Yes',
2 for 'No' 2
SHACKLES

MBL of Towline Shackles (including shackle between towline and bridle apex)
- See Shackle Type 1 in Fig 1 200 MT

MBL of Bridle Shackles - See Shackle Type 2 in Fig 1 200 MT

TOW CONNECTIONS AND FAIRLEAD
MBL of Fairlead - See Item 7 in Fig 1 200 MT

MBL of Tow Connection (Smit Bracket) - See Item 8 in Fig 1 200 MT

BRIDLE RECOVERY ARRANGEMENT
Combined weight of bridle, bridle apex(delta plate) and intermediate 0.5 MT

Recovery Winch Capacity (See Item 9 in Fig 1) 2 MT

MBL of Recovery Wire (See Item 10 in Fig 1) 10 MT
MBL of Recovery Shackle (See Item 11 in Fig 1) 10 MT
EMERGENCY TOWING EQUIPMENT
MBL of Fairlead - See Item 1 in Fig 2 180 MT
MBL of Tow Connection (Smit Bracket) - See Item 2 in Fig 2 180 MT

MBL of Emergency Pennant - See Item 3 in Fig 2 180 MT

Length of Emergency Pennant - See Item 3 in Fig 2 85 m
MBL of Extension Wire (if present) - See Item 4 in Fig 2 30 MT
MBL of Float Line - See Item 5 in Fig 2 30 MT
Length of Float Line - See Item 5 in Fig 2 80 m
 (Item 1)

Shackle Type 1
(Item 4)
(Item 2)

(Item 3) Recovery (Item 3)

(Item 1)

Shackle Type 2
(Item 6)
(Item 10)
(Item 4)

(Item 2)

(Item 7)

(Item 8)
(Item 5)
(Item 9)

FIG 1 TOWING BRIDLE AND TOWLINE CONNECTIONS

FIG 2 TYPICAL EMERGENCY TOWING ARRANGEMENT

 TOWING BRIDLE DESIGN SPREADSHEET 1
1
Reference: Nobledenton Guidelines for Marine Transportation, Rev 5, July 2013

INPUTS
Continuous Bollard Pull of the actual Tug (CBP) 50 MT
Towline Breaking Load (TBL) 180 MT
Deployable Towline Length (DTL) - with one pennant 700 m
Type of Towage (1-Normal,2-Benign, 3- Coastal with good
1
weather forecast)
Bridle Apex Angle 60 degrees
Is the Intermediate Wire Pennant used as a 'Fuse' or "Weak
2
Link'? 1 for 'Yes', 2 for 'No'
Combined weight of bridle, bridle apex(delta plate) and
0.5 MT
intermediate pennant

DESIGN CHECK
Formula/Relevant Clause of
Item Symbol Required Provided Unit Check
ND 0030-5
A. TOWLINE
Absolute minimum required Deployable Towline Length ADL Sec 13.3.1 & Sec 13.3.2 650 700 m OK
Minimum Towline Length from European Formula EFL Sec 13.3.1 & Sec 13.3.2 643 700 m
Required Towline MBL from Sec 13.2 RMBL1 Sec 13.2.1 140.0 MT
Required Towline MBL if DTL < EFL RMBL2 Sec 13.3.4 140.0 MT
Final required Towline MBL(Higher of RMBL1 & RMBL2) RMBL 140.0 180 MT OK
B. TOWING BRIDLE
Required MBL of Towing bridle leg (See Item 1 in Fig 1) Sec 13.2.4 175.0 180 MT OK
Required MBL of Chafe Chain (See Item 2 in Fig 1) Sec 13.2.4 175.0 180 MT OK
Required MBL of Bridle Apex (Delta Plate or Towing Ring) - See Item 3 in Fig 1 Sec 13.2.4 175.0 180 MT OK
C. INTERMEDIATE WIRE PENNANT
MBL of Intermediate Wire Pennant - See Item 4 in Fig 1 Sec 13.8.4/13.8.6 180 180 MT NOT OK
D. SHACKLES
Required MBL of Towline Shackles (including shackle between towline and bridle
Sec 13.7.1 198 200 MT OK
apex) - See Shackle Type 1 in Fig 1
Required MBL of Bridle Shackles - See Shackle Type 2 in Fig 1 Sec 13.7.2 192.5 200 MT OK
E. TOW CONNECTIONS AND FAIRLEAD
Required MBL of Fairlead - See Item 7 in Fig 1 Sec 13.2.4 175.0 200 MT OK
Required MBL of Tow Connection (Smit Bracket) - See Item 8 in Fig 1 Sec 13.2.4 175.0 200 MT OK
F. BRIDLE RECOVERY ARRANGEMENT
Recovery Winch Capacity (See Item 9 in Fig 1) Sec 13.10.2 0.5 2 MT OK
Required MBL of Recovery Wire (See Item 10 in Fig 1) Sec 13.10.5 3 10 MT OK
Required MBL of Recovery Shackle (See Item 11 in Fig 1) 3 10 MT OK
G. EMERGENCY TOWING EQUIPMENT
Required MBL of Fairlead - See Item 1 in Fig 2 Sec 13.11.3 175.0 180 MT OK
Required MBL of Tow Connection (Smit Bracket) - See Item 2 in Fig 2 Sec 13.11.3 175.0 180 MT OK
Required MBL of Emergency Pennant - See Item 3 in Fig 2 Sec 13.11.3 175.0 180 MT OK
Required minimum Length of Emergency Pennant - See Item 3 in Fig 2 Sec 13.11.2 - c 80 85 m OK
Required MBL of Extension Wire (if present) - See Item 4 in Fig 2 Sec 13.11.3 25 30 MT OK
Required MBL of Float Line - See Item 5 in Fig 2 Sec 13.11.3 25 30 MT OK
Required Length of Float Line - See Item 5 in Fig 2 Sec 13.11.3 75 to 90 80 m OK
 (Item 1)

Shackle Type 1
(Item 5)
(Item 4)

(Item 2)

(Item 3) Recovery
(Item 3)

(Item 1)

Shackle Type 2
(Item 6)
(Item 10)

(Item 2) (Item 4)

(Item 3) Recovery (Item 3)

(Item 7)
(Item 8)

(Item 9) (Item 5) (Item 4)

FIG 1 TOWING BRIDLE AND TOWLINE CONNECTIONS

FIG 2 TYPICAL EMERGENCY TOWING ARRANGEMENT

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