Emergency vessel attachment and towing system (EVATS™): Development and testing of a standalone system for improved safety, reliability, and versatility of towline securement to disabled oceangoing vessels

When oceangoing ships become disabled at sea, the process of establishing an emergency towing connection using conventional methods can be extremely dangerous, especially in heavy weather, low light, or low visibility conditions. The responding towing vessel must position itself beneath, or near to, the flare of the disabled ship's bow while a towline is hauled vertically to the fo'c'sle deck. This task can be impossible if shipboard deck machinery is non-functional due to an electrical blackout or other crippling condition. Moreover, conventional emergency towing systems rely on a single-point towing connection, where nearly the entire line load is transmitted to a single bitt or other deck fitting on the ship. Not all ships have deck fittings and/or supporting structure of adequate capacity to withstand such loads, particularly in this type of dynamic load environment. Consequently, initial attempts to establish emergency towing connections to disabled ships in heavy weather are often unsuccessful, or fail shortly after a connection has been made. Glosten, with support from Samson Rope Technologies, has developed an emergency towing solution designed to reduce the risks to safety and the environment associated with the use of conventional emergency towing systems, and to increase the probability of achieving a secure connection to disabled vessels on the first attempt. The system is also designed as an effective means for attachment of a para-sea anchor or other or ship-arresting device to the bow of a disabled vessel. The Emergency Vessel Attachment and Towing System (EVATS)
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achieves these goals by combining unique functionalities that set it apart from conventional emergency towing systems. This paper describes the development methodology for the EVATS design, recent component testing, and the function and advantages of the EVATS itself.