A numerical approach for predicting motion and tension of extensible marine cables during laying operations in a rough sea is presented here. The solution methodology consists of dividing the cable into straight elements, which must satisfy an equilibrium equation and compatibility relations. The system of nonlinear differential equations is solved by the Runge–Kutta method, taking the effect of regular and/or irregular waves into account explicitly. Illustrative applications of the method are given for a typical cable laying ship. The results are presented as rms values of the cable dynamic tension and corresponding dynamic factor for two different types of cable and several values of cable stiffness. The effect of axial deformation on the maximum tension at the shipboard pulley location is highlighted.
