Emergency Towing Arrangements (ETA) & Procedures Guide

Emergency towing safety is governed by SOLAS Chapter II-1, Regulation 3-4 (Emergency towing arrangements and procedures). Originally enacted in the wake of catastrophic tanker disasters (such as the Amoco Cadiz and Braer) where disabled tankers grounded due to the inability of salvage tugs to secure a towing line in storm seas, the regulation establishes a dual-tier standard:

• Tanker Emergency Towing Arrangements (SOLAS II-1/3-4.1): Mandatory on all oil tankers, chemical tankers, and gas carriers of 20,000 DWT and above. Hardware must be permanently installed at the forward and aft ends of the ship, built to certified strength standards (IMO Res. MSC.35(63) as amended by MSC.132(75)), and designed for rapid, fail-safe deployment.
• Extension to Non-Tankers >= 20,000 GT (Res. MSC.549(108)): At MSC 108 in May 2024, the IMO adopted amendments to SOLAS II-1/3-4 inserting new paragraph 1.2: ships other than tankers of 20,000 GT and upwards constructed on or after 1 January 2028 must be fitted with emergency towing arrangements fore and aft to facilitate salvage.
• Emergency Towing Procedures Booklet (SOLAS II-1/3-4.2): Mandatory on all passenger ships and cargo ships of 500 GT and upwards. Requires a ship-specific manual documenting available deck gear, safe working loads, towing patterns, and emergency communications developed under MSC.1/Circ.1255.

Emergency towing gear on tankers must withstand extreme dynamic shock loads and marine corrosion while ensuring that exhausted or limited crew can deploy the gear in heavy seas and darkness without electrical power.

• Aft Rapid-Deployment System: The aft arrangement is pre-rigged for instant jettisoning. The storage drum or container holds a buoyant pick-up messenger line (minimum 120 m length, brightly colored) connected to an automatic light-buoy with a flashing marker light, which leads to the main high-strength steel wire towing pennant and a dedicated strongpoint. In an emergency, one crew member pulls a manual release lever or removes a safety pin, allowing the buoy and messenger to deploy freely over the stern for the salvage tug to retrieve.
• Forward Arrangement & Chafing Chain: The forward arrangement relies on a certified strongpoint (such as a Smit bracket), a heavy stud-link chafing chain (minimum 8 meters long, diameter matched to the working strength), and a closed chock or roller fairlead with a minimum clear opening of 600 mm × 450 mm. The chafing chain prevents the towing pennant from chafing against the vessel's hull or bulwark during long-distance towing.
• Angular Strength Rating: All strongpoints, stoppers, and fairleads must be certified to deliver their full safe working strength at any angle up to 90° to the vessel's centerline, both horizontally and vertically, without permanent deformation.

Under SOLAS Regulation II-1/3-4.2, every cargo ship ≥ 500 GT and passenger ship must maintain a ship-specific Emergency Towing Procedure (ETP) booklet prepared in accordance with the Guidelines for Owners/Operators on Preparing Emergency Towing Procedures (MSC.1/Circ.1255).

• Strict Ship-Specificity: Generic company booklets or copied sister-ship manuals are strictly prohibited. The ETP booklet must feature the exact vessel name, IMO number, call sign, and actual measured safe working loads of on-board bollards and chocks.
• Dead-Ship Condition Strategies: The booklet must detail clear, step-by-step procedures for securing towing lines when the ship has suffered a complete blackout, loss of auxiliary boilers, or failure of deck hydraulic piping. This includes manual rope handling techniques, securing bights over double bollards (figure-of-eight method), and manual anchor stopper release.
• Drill Schedules & Crew Familiarization: Under ISM Code Element 8 (Emergency Preparedness), emergency towing drills must be integrated into the ship's annual safety drill matrix, ensuring that deck ratings and junior officers are trained in locating equipment, releasing the aft pick-up gear, and rigged line safety.

Emergency towing arrangements are exposed to aggressive salt spray, green seas over the bow, and severe temperature fluctuations. Rigorous Planned Maintenance System (PMS) routines are essential to prevent gear failure during an emergency:

• Monthly Visual & Lubrication Inspections: Inspect fairlead rollers for free rotation, verify that grease nipples accept marine grease, inspect Smit bracket hinged covers and securing pins for corrosion, and verify that the aft pick-up drum release mechanism moves freely without binding.
• Messenger Line & Buoy Inspection: Unreel the aft pick-up line every 6 months to check for UV degradation, chafing, or rot. Test the light-buoy battery and verify that the flashing marker light operates upon immersion or switch activation.
• Towing Pennant Wire Condition: Uncoil or inspect the towing wire pennant for broken wires, kinking, or internal corrosion in accordance with ISO 4309 wire rope discard criteria. Ensure that wire terminations (spelter sockets or swaged eyes) are free of cracks and heavy rust.
• Markings & Identification: Verify that all bollards, fairleads, and strongpoints designated for emergency towing are clearly marked with their Safe Working Load (SWL) or TOW rating in high-visibility contrast paint.

Port State Control Officers (PSCOs) from Paris MoU, Tokyo MOU, and USCG regularly verify emergency towing readiness on both tankers and dry cargo vessels. Standard inspection focus areas include:

• Physical Hardware Operationality: PSCOs frequently request the crew to swing open the Smit bracket stopper, rotate fairlead rollers by hand, and demonstrate the manual release latch on the aft ETA deployment locker. Seized rollers or pins warrant immediate deficiency citations.
• ETP Booklet Accessibility: PSCOs check that the required three copies of the ETP booklet are physically present in their designated stations (bridge console, ship's office, and emergency steering room) and that deck officers can explain the primary towing pattern for the vessel.
• Drill Records in Official Log Book: PSCOs cross-examine safety training logs to confirm that an emergency towing drill has been conducted within the prescribed company and Flag State intervals.
• Deficiency Action Codes: An unlubricated fairlead roller or missing spare copy of the ETP booklet results in Action Code 17 (rectify prior to departure); a seized strongpoint, missing towing wire pennant, deteriorated aft messenger line, or missing ETP booklet on a tanker constitutes a critical deficiency resulting in Action Code 30 (Ship Detention).