Disconnecting

This morning we started early with preparations for disconnecting from the Hermod. We have to be in Las Palmas at midnight for refueling (750.000 liters). The rough weather from the last days resulted in a moderate and nasty swell from the North. Making disconnecting not an easy task. Our towing arrangement consists of 1250 meters three inch diameter steel wire followed by a 40 meter heavy Nylon stretcher or shock line, this is the big rope with the large eye you can see right below on the picture. This Nylon rope will absorp all excessive shock loads by stretching itself. This picture was taken shortly after disconnecting and shows the Bosun and his riggers struggling with the retrieval wire.