Line thrower

Line throwers are devices for throwing lines to remote positions.

They have a long history, and are used in a variety of situations.

History

In 1791 John Bell proposed a system to launch a line from a ship in distress to the shore, but this does not seems to have ever been implemented. In the early 19th century however, a range of shore-based systems were developed and deployed for the rescue of sailors from stranded ships—a serious problem in the age of sail and before modern navigation and communication systems.

Examples include:

• Manby Mortar, 1814, installed at 59 British rescue stations in the next two years
• Henry Trengrouse's rocket-based system of 1818 had a better range, and was far easier to transport
• Lyle gun, 1877, a small cannon, developed for the United States Life-Saving Service]
• Boxer rocket, 1855, a two-stage rocket used in rescue line applications until World War II

Moderns systems

Modern rocket-based systems are a common choice for vessels that require a line-throwing apparatus to meet SOLAS requirements, but in the late 1980s, pneumatic line throwers were invented and are preferred in many instances. Shoulder-fired line-throwing guns are available, and there are also slingshot-based systems.

See also

• Harpax