A theoretical investigation of the form assumed by a submarine cable during laying or recovery

The increasing use of submerged repeaters and the introduction of new cable types have drawn attention to the hydrodynamic problems involved in the laying and recovery of deep-sea cables. The paper deals with the case of a uniform cable being laid or picked up at a constant speed. A method is described whereby the shape of the curve assumed by the cable under given conditions can be estimated and the maximum tension in the cable predicted.