Towing & Ship-Assist · Gear — Bridle Leg Angle
As the included angle between the two legs of a towing bridle increases (legs spread wider), the tension in each leg:
- ADecreases to zero
- BIncreases for the same towing load✓ Correct
- CStays exactly equal to the towline tension
- DHas no relationship to the angle
Explanation
A bridle is a two-leg system; the wider the apex angle, the larger the tension each leg must carry to produce the same forward pull (the legs work increasingly against each other). Excessively wide bridle angles overstress the legs and their connections.
Authority: Towing seamanship / statics references
Practice the full Towing & Ship-Assist bank
Free spaced-repetition quizzing across 2190 USCG exam questions — it schedules your reviews so the ones you miss come back until they stick.
Related Towing & Ship-Assist questions
- Towing Lights
For the purpose of the towing light rules, the 'length of the tow' is measured from the:
- Towing Lights
A power-driven vessel towing astern, with a tow 200 meters or less in length, exhibits which lights in addition to sidelights and a sternlight?
- Towing Lights
When the length of the tow astern exceeds 200 meters, the towing vessel displays:
- Towing Lights
By day, when the length of a tow exceeds 200 meters, the towing vessel and the vessel being towed must each exhibit:
- Towing Lights
The yellow towing light required of a vessel towing astern is located:
- Towing Lights
A vessel or object being towed astern (and not a composite or pushed unit) normally exhibits: