"Don White" wrote in message
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"SteveB" wrote in message
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"Wizard of Woodstock" wrote in message
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On Mon, 6 Jul 2009 00:19:40 -0600, "SteveB"
wrote:

http://www.stupidvideos.com/video/st...t_Launch_Fail/

Whoopsie....

Looks to me that the stern swung in and landed on the handrail, but the
crane operator kept going down. I ran a crane on an offshore drilling
rig for a few years. I would have had two tag lines, one bow, one stern,
to prevent just such spinning. Well, not prevent spinning, but give a
way to keep the boat straight as the natural tendency of the rigging has
to twist once a load is put on it. But it has two basket rigged slings,
so don't know if the spin is caused from the cables above the spreader
bars, or what. It looks like there are no tag lines period. Should have
been tag lines, and it seems there was no communication, as a good ground
pounder would have yelled all stop when the boat first hit anything.
Some signal, some radio call, something.

Steve

Is that what you call 'em...'tag lines'?
When I belonged to a 'self help' local military yacht club back in the
80s, everyone was expected to show up on launch day to help out.
A modest fee was charged to use the big base crane but the members had to
do all the grunt work.
I spent a morning helping control numerous launchings of medium to fair
sized sailboats and not one problem.

Yes, lines that help keep the load from spinning are called tag lines.
Don't have to be big lines, as you don't put much load on them. 1/4' is
okay, 3'8 is good. Even parachute cord, although it's hard on the hands and
easily tangles. Make them about twice as long as needed, as if one end gets
really far out, the ground pounder will need all that line. Tie with secure
knot to LOAD, and not to sling. And then tie a knot in the end that the men
are going to hold so that they will have a knob to hold on to when they get
to the end of it. A simple overhand with about three turns through the
bight works good. Google for animated knots, and they show you how to tie
knots with animated lines. Taglines may be wrapped around stationary items
like poles or handrails so that it gives something more substantial to hold
the load, but be very careful that the stationary item is not rough
surfaced, like a telephone pole, and the line can run across the surface
easily. Do not take more than one turn around the stationary item, and have
the line clear so that in case it needs to, the line can be paid out
quickly, and not get tangled or seized on itself. It is BEST not to have it
on anything, and if the load gets away, or pulls hard, it just pulls the
ground pounder along the deck a little, and the rope won't pull anything out
or off, or cause the load to shift more.

And slow is good. And those little radios, or ONE person giving signals to
the crew is best. Any doubt, and ALL STOP until clear.

In professional work, more time is spent hooking up and rehearsing and
talking among the team than is spent during the actual pick.

HTH

Steve