What is Mooring of Ships?
mooring is the fastening of a vessel to any shore or land-based structure with the help of suitable mechanisms such that the vessel is not subjected to free motion. This land-based structure may include berths, jetties, piers, wharves, quays, etc.
Components of Mooring
1. Mooring Lines
These are the main components of any mooring system. In earlier times, ropes were mainly used as mooring lines. However, steel or high-grade synthetic materials have been widely used. The main requirements of any mooring line should be high strength and elasticity. The forces transmitted from the ship structures are transmitted directly to these mooring lines.
2. Mooring winches
On the shoreside, the mooring lines are joined to the winches. These winches act as end supports for these lines and help in handling and directing the lines as per requirements. The winch system controls the tension and extension of the mooring lines. The mooring lines are commonly operated by electro-hydraulic power that uses hydraulic pressure to control the tension and traction forces on the lines. The main component of the winches is cable drums, either oriented horizontally or vertically. The size of the drum once again depends on the ropes.
3. Driving Systems
The winches are operated by electrical and hydraulic mechanisms. These are mainly dedicated engines or motors that supply the power to the winch through torque. In turn, the power supply is from the shore supply main lines. These systems’ capacity is as per the capacity and configuration of the winch and related mooring lines.
4. Vessel fittings or attachments
At the other end of the mooring lines, they must be tightly secured to the vessel structure. These attachments are usually on the main deck but can sometimes be placed in subsequent decks. Once again, based on the type of vessel, the number, size, type, and configuration of these fittings are present. The fittings associated with these mooring are all designed and constructed per standard IACS guidelines based on the vessel and the related mooring system. Usually, the fitting used are chocks, bollards, fairleads, bitts, etc.
5. Fenders
Now, despite the mooring lines, vessels often tend towards motion and, as a result, can be prone to hit on the adjacent shore or dock structure to which it is secured. Such impacts can result in damage to the shore structure as well as the vessel. So, for the same reason, the vessel and the shore structure are padded with a securing arrangement known as fenders, which absorb impact energy in the event of a collision or strike. The design of the fenders is once again based on the vessel type and size. They are usually made of rubber, wood, or high-grade synthetic polymers.
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Construction engineer - Mechanical | Ciel et Terre | Floating solar | Renewable energy | Under water anchoring & mooring
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