Heaving Line

What is a Heaving Line? And what is it used for?

A heaving line is a line with a knot at the end called a Monkey’s Fist; the monkey’s fist will have a weight at the end which helps in throwing the line to gain distance

Heaving Line Care:

 Always coil line neatly  If salt water gets on the line, the line should be cleaned with fresh water and then dried before being put away  The leaving line should be put away dry, in a cool dark place  When retrieving the monkey’s fist, do not let it drag on the ground as this will damage the monkey’s fist

To Throw the Heaving Line:

 First, be sure that you have one end of the monkey’s fist secured (for regatta purposes, you would put the loop of the non-monkey’s fisted end around your wrist), then make neat coils with alternate-hitch coiling, in which regular turns are alternated by grasping the rope with the back of your hand turned toward you, then turning the palm toward you as you bring your hands together, like this:

 Then, take several coils in your throwing hand (allowing the monkey’s fist to hang slightly lower than the coils), and leave the rest of the coils in the non throwing hand  Next, make sure both feet are facing forward (i.e. your target) and gain momentum with the coils by swinging both your non-throwing hand and throwing hand back and forth (no more than three times, more swings will only tangle your coils, it will not make the heaving line go and further)  After two or three momentum swings, release the entire heaving line from both hands (this will help you gain the furthest distance with the least resistance) when your throwing hand is slightly higher than parallel with the ground  If all goes well, your heaving line will be thrown far and straight!! Ring Buoy

What is a Heaving Line? And what is it used for?

A ring buoy is a personal flotation device in a ring shape and usually has a line attached. The purpose of a ring buoy is to save a victim from the water.

Ring Buoy Care:

A ring buoy should be cared for in the same way that a heaving line would.

To Throw the Heaving Line:

Generally speaking, throw a ring buoy in the same way that you would throw a heaving line; however, there are different techniques, be sure to ask your fellow crew members or officers the various techniques