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Underway Replenishment (UNREP)

Page 9 of 14

Equipment Terminology

  • Inhaul/Outhaul line. A line used to recover any piece of gear such as a trolley block. The vessel providing the gear retains the inhaul and sends the outhaul to the other ship. It consists of two wire whips connected at a trolley block.
  • Messenger. 800 feet of continuous graduated manila or nylon line used to bring the UNREP rig aboard.
  • Winch. The primary source of power for cargo handling and replenishment at sea rigs. It does all the inhaul/outhaul work.
  • Line throwing gun. Usually a M-14 rifle that fires a projectile from the delivery ship to the receiving ship carrying a light nylon line to be used to pull in a heavier line. The exception to this is when delivery is to an aboard aircraft carrier. In this case, the carrier (receiving ship) delivers the projectile to the delivery ship to prevent a projectile from the delivery ship from striking an aircraft.
  • Bolo. A nylon shot line with a padded lead weight that is thrown by a seaman to the other ship to use to pull in a heavier line. It is used in place of a line-throwing gun.
  • P&D line. A Phone and Distance line comprised of a salt and pepper (two lines, one white, one black) phone line  for use  during the UNREP. The line has different colored flags attached to it at intervals to indicate to the bridge how far apart the ships are during the UNREP. The flags are colored green (00 feet), red (20 feet), yellow (40 feet), blue (60 feet), white (80 feet), repeating out to 300 feet separated by 20-foot increments. At night, chemical lights (in clusters of three) mark the 60, 100, 140, and 180-foot markers.
  • Fair-lead block. Usually a snatch block located at an area where an obstruction is to be bypassed.
  • Snatch block. A single sheave block with a hinged strap that can be opened and the bight of a line inserted.
  • King post. One of a pair of short, strong uprights used to support cargo booms and UNREP rigs. 1 mainstay and 2 back-stays where delivery ship's stations are located. Most new combatants have the king post located on the helo-deck or fantail.
  • Sampson post. Same as king post, except permanently mounted.