Marine Fairlead: The Safety Guardian of Ship Mooring - Part 1

Marine fairleads are the core components of a ship's mooring system. They are fixed to the side of the deck or the wharf and play a crucial role in guiding the mooring lines, protecting the hull and ensuring operational safety.

Core Functions

1.Guide the direction of the cable: Ensure that the cable smoothly extends from the mooring equipment to the pier mooring stake, and control the Angle at which the cable exits.

2.Reduce friction and wear: Through the design of rollers, rollers or wear-resistant bushings, sliding friction is transformed into rolling friction, significantly reducing cable loss.

3.Protect the hull structure: Avoid direct friction of the cables against the edges of the hull to prevent damage to the bulwark and deck.

4.Withstand mooring loads: It features a high-strength structure that can resist dynamic tensile forces caused by wind, waves and currents.

5.Prevention of cable tripping: The closed or limited design ensures that the cable remains stably in position when subjected to force.

Main Types

1.Rolling wheel type:

Composed of 1-2 heavy-duty rollers, it has low frictional resistance and is suitable for large-angle turns (such as at the bow/stern).

2. Rolling column type:

Composed of multiple vertical rollers, it ADAPTS to the swinging of the mooring line and is commonly found in the middle of the ship's side.

3.Closed fairlead (Panama type):

Closed elliptical/circular holes, with embedded nylon or bronze bushings, offer the best anti-jump performance and strong versatility.

4.Open type (goat horn type):

The top opening is convenient for operation, but it has lower safety and is mostly used in auxiliary positions.

5.Combined type:

Integrating roller and closed structures, it takes into account both low friction and high protection.