Question 20 AT01 - Assistance Towing Endorsement

The Correct Answer is B **Explanation for Option B (Push string):** In inland river towing, a "tow" is the arrangement of barges secured together. When the towboat is "faced up" (secured) to the barges, the barges directly in front of and connected to the towboat are known as the **push string**. This string is the immediate connection point through which the towboat applies its propulsive force (push) to the entire arrangement of barges. Since the towboat is faced up to the center string in this specific configuration (three abreast and three long), the center string is the one transmitting the pushing force, making it the push string. **Explanation of Incorrect Options:** * **A) Power string:** While the barges are being powered through this connection, "Power string" is not the standard nautical or industry term used to refer to the line of barges immediately connected to the towboat. * **C) Face string:** "Face string" is a descriptive term for the string the boat is faced up to, but the universally accepted industry term, derived from the mechanical function of the towboat, is "push string." * **D) Main string:** This is a generic term. While the center string is often crucial, "Main string" is not the precise, recognized industry terminology for the string directly receiving the pushing force from the towboat.