Abstract: A variable depth towed sonar line handling system is arranged to provide a level wind of the sonar cable onto a cable winding drum without significant lateral deflection of the cable. The system includes a boom with sheaves at the inboard and outboard ends and an inboard winch with a cable winding drum. The winch is mounted for axial movement past the boom and is translated axially in synchronism with its rotation so that the fleet angle of the cable remains constant. In preferred embodiments, the winch is located beside the boom and translates fore and aft. This allows the cable to be taken off along the pivot axis of the boom, eliminating cable excursion through the sheaves in boom bobbing. Other features include a fairleading saddle and a combined passive and active shock absorbing system.

Abstract: A compact towing system which is adapted to be mounted on a ship for towing an underwater towed body using faired tow cable is provided herein. It includes an improvement in the combination of the following inter-related elements: (a) a trucked gantry; (b) a lower saddle; (c) a winch drum; (d) a boom; (e) a pivotable deflection sheave mounted inside the boom; and (f) a fairlead sheave and saddle assembly. Such assembly is mounted on a driven carriage. The improvement comprises structure and controls for driving the trucked gantry in synchronism with the winch drum. The driving of the trucked gantry (a) fore and aft is so related to the winding and unwinding of cable from the winch drum (b) that, as the trucked gantry traverses between a forward stow position and an aft full cable-out position, a zero degree fleet angle is obtained and maintained between the tow cable and the winch drum.

Abstract: A one-piece fairing is provided which is a finite length monolithic one-piece, snap-on, foil-shaped, low drag fairing element of streamlined hydrodynamic shape, having an outer wall formed of high strength material, the fairing element being symmetrical about its central longitudinal axis, and adapted to be associated with a plurality of similar such fairing elements in end-to-end abutting relation on a cable.

Abstract: A novel compound drum hoist is provided herein. It includes a first or outer cable-spooling drum rotatably and drivingly mounted on a first shaft. A second or inner cable-spooling drum is nested within the first drum, and is rotatably and drivingly mounted on a second shaft disposed at an angle of 90.degree..+-.30.degree., but preferably at a right angle to the first shaft. The inner drum is operable to be rotated while the outer drum is maintained stationary, thereby to spool faired cable onto the inner drum. Substantially simultaneously the outer drum is rotated along with the inner drum, thereby to spool faired cable onto the outer drum. Such hoist is thus suitably adapted to wind long lengths of cable with segmented fairings thereon without any significant risk of crushing the fairings.