Chain tie-up

Never seen a ship tied up w chain mooring lines before. Chain has no stretch at all and that would make it unsuitable (IMO) for mooring lines. But on Yahoo news there was a picture of a Chinese aircraft carrier (the new one they built by themselves) tied to the dock w chains. The only thing I can think of as a reason is strength. What do you think? Do we use chains to secure our bigger ships to docks?

Maybe the Chinese thought somebody was going to steal it and wanted to be able to padlock the dock chains.

Ted

No, only with rope lines.

When I was in school, the training ship was laid up for about 10 months of the year while we weren't going anywhere. We used chain for long term layup. It doesn't have any stretch, but the catenary in the chain acts as a bit of a spring. We'd normally tie up with polypropylene lines for short term tie ups, but over time, the chafe and UV degradation would mean they'd need to be replaced and adjusted fairly regularly. With chain you just set it and forget it.

Ted why would anybody want to steal the lowest tech new aircraft carrier in the world?
May be better if you didn’t answer that.

Wayfarrer,
Yes of course .. long term durability. Perhaps they have some kind of chaffing gear on the dock bollards or cleats.
But what’s a ship to do w/o creaking rope type mooring lines?
But I don’t understand why one would use polypropylene either. Isn’t it very sensitive to UV? And of course no stretch.

Nomad Willy said:

Ted why would anybody want to steal the lowest tech new aircraft carrier in the world?
May be better if you didn’t answer that.

Wayfarrer,
Yes of course .. long term durability. Perhaps they have some kind of chaffing gear on the dock bollards or cleats.
But what’s a ship to do w/o creaking rope type mooring lines?
But I don’t understand why one would use polypropylene either. Isn’t it very sensitive to UV? And of course no stretch.

Click to expand...

I was kidding. I don't think you could find big enough padlocks.

Ted

"I was kidding. I don't think you could find big enough padlocks."


I am sure they could steal the design of a big padlock and build it out of scrap overnight.

I volunteer on the 50 foot historic tug at South Street Seaport in NYC. We chain it to the "dock" (actually a barge held in place by pilings). And no, not because it's NYC and we think someone is going to steal it. The wave action around lower Manhattan is so bad that even the 2 inch lines stretch overnight and the tug was getting "beat up".

When we get past the Covid crisis we'll probably resume giving rides in NY harbor if anyone wants a 1930 tugboat experience. It was originally steam powered, but now it has a DD 6 110.

The picture was taken in Albany NY on the way to the Waterford NY tugboat roundup last year. No chains needed since the Hudson was calm up there.