# Two man operated harbour tugs, can anyone help?



## Martink (Feb 22, 2006)

Hi All,

I am currently working on a final school paper for my maritime senior officer’s exam. Being a tug enthusiast I quickly choose the subject of tugs, namely two men operated harbour tugs.

It is paramount for the project that I find a mariner with knowledge of or experience from two men operated harbour tugs, which is willing to answer a few questions for me. So far I have written to more than a handful ports and companies who operate such tugs, but haven’t received a single reply yet.

So I am really hoping that one of you knowledgably guys might be able to help me, either yourself or by providing the contact to one who can?

It should not take much time and if you/he/she wish you can remain anonymous in the paper.

By harbour tug I mean a real ship handling tug that provides harbour towage services.

I really hope that someone is able to help.

Best regards

Martin Kristiansen


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## Coastie (Aug 24, 2005)

Hi Martink.

Welcome to Shipsnostalgia from the usually Sunny Isle of Anglesey here in the UK. Good luck with your paper and research, I'm sure someone on here will be able to assist you in some way.


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## ddraigmor (Sep 13, 2006)

A 'real ship handling tug'? Goodness gracious, you will upset us tuggies talking like that! Shiphandling can be performed by any type of tug - but the smaller ones do it particularly well, I have to admit!

I am sure there will be someone to assist you in your research. In fact, I'd bet on it!

Jonty


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## Martink (Feb 22, 2006)

ddraigmor said:


> A 'real ship handling tug'? Goodness gracious, you will upset us tuggies talking like that! Shiphandling can be performed by any type of tug - but the smaller ones do it particularly well, I have to admit!
> 
> I am sure there will be someone to assist you in your research. In fact, I'd bet on it!
> 
> Jonty


Thank you very much Coastie 

ddraigmor: Sorry about my bad explanation, of course all tugs can perform shiphandling! What I was trying to say is that I am interested in the more modern compact tugs with lets say +30 ton bollard pull and operating with a crew of two. 

I hope someone will be able and willing to help..

Best regards

Martin


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## Coastie (Aug 24, 2005)

I'm sure they will, Martink.

Don't worry about Ddraigmor, he's only joking with you!!


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## ddraigmor (Sep 13, 2006)

I am - and I can't help with smaller tugs. If you get no luvk, then join http://www.modeltugforum.com where there are many modellers but also real tug drivers who - I am sure - will assist,.

Jonty


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## Martink (Feb 22, 2006)

Thank you all for your help so far, sadly there has been no responce yet, but I still hope to find someone which is willing and able to help.

Best regards

Martin


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## ddraigmor (Sep 13, 2006)

Come on lad! There must be SOMEONE out there with experience of this type of role to assist Martin?

Jonty


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## Tony Crompton (Jul 26, 2005)

Probably because there are not any 30 ton+ bp tugs operating with 2 men. A tug of this size is a "Powerful Beast" and requires heavy towing lines. One man has to "Drive" and it would be unsafe for only one man to connect heavy towlines!! Also if one man fell over the side it would be quite impossible for the other to handle the tug and retreive someone from the water.

If I was the Pilot on a ship being offered such a tug I would be advise the Master not to employ it. Even on our Pilot Boats we insisted on a minimum of 3 men.

I very much doubt that "Elf n' Safety" and Tugmens Unions would even consider it.

Tony


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## Bill Davies (Sep 5, 2007)

And I think I would take your advice Tony!


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## Don Matheson (Mar 13, 2007)

If I remember correctly the Canadian timber "tugs" operate with only two men. These tugs though dont actually tow the timber but round it up so the workers from ashore can build big rafts to float down the rivers.
This is from a faided memory so may not be that accurate. I do remember these very versatile little tugs working up from Vancouver.
Martin perhaps if you mentioned some of the companies you think operated two man tugs that would help people to remember one way or the other.
Me, I dont think I have ever heard of a ship handling tug with only two men.

Don


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## Martink (Feb 22, 2006)

Tony Crompton said:


> Probably because there are not any 30 ton+ bp tugs operating with 2 men. A tug of this size is a "Powerful Beast" and requires heavy towing lines. One man has to "Drive" and it would be unsafe for only one man to connect heavy towlines!! Also if one man fell over the side it would be quite impossible for the other to handle the tug and retreive someone from the water.
> 
> If I was the Pilot on a ship being offered such a tug I would be advise the Master not to employ it. Even on our Pilot Boats we insisted on a minimum of 3 men.
> 
> ...


Two man operated tugs of that size is very much reality! They operate in many countries world wide like, Canada, USA, Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia, Chile, New Caledonia... In fact tugs of up to 70 tonnes bollard pull operate with only two crew in some countries/ports. These tugs are not just any tugs, they are specially designed for two man operation. The hole issue if it is safe or not is exactly the centre of my paper. 

I have written to 10 companies that operates such tugs, and just this afternoon I recived a reply from one of them, and they have offered to help me, provided that their identity is kept private, so now I can proceed with my project. I am however still interested in further sources if anyone can help.

Best regards

Martin


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## Dave Edge (May 18, 2005)

Yes, the two man tug is alive and well and working in Auckland (and some other NZ ports). They are, in my opinion, inherently unsafe for the reasons Tony gave.


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## vincent simmonds (Jul 12, 2008)

If tugmasters said no to two men tugs that would put a stop to this daft idear. Colin Laugharne retired tug master


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## ddraigmor (Sep 13, 2006)

Ta boys. I think that was where Martin was going. Any harbour jobs I did - irrespective of the tug size - had at least two men on deck during operations.

Jonty


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## billyboy (Jul 6, 2005)

I worked a Tug on the Brighton Marina project some years back there were three of us aboard. but when towing the third man would be on the barge leaving just two of us aboard.


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## Corrimeala (Jan 2, 2009)

There were what we called "Toshers" on the Thames used for towing barges. They only had a skipper and a mate. They couldn't be used for moving ships though. 

I never worked on a tug that moved ships that had less than a 5 man crew. That is skipper, mate, engineer, greaser and apprentice. I can't see how you could get the towing cable aboard with just one man on deck. Couldn't agree with Tony more, it would be really dangerous


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## Mike S (Dec 27, 2005)

Thirty years handling every thing from single screw steam tugs to high powered ASD boats .......so I guess I can stick me bib in!
Firstly three men is a minimum in my opinion. The Master cannot leave the controls so that leaves the engineer and the deckhand. 
Winches are used to handle the tow lines. They are controlled from the wheelhouse. Usually on Aussie boats the deckhand works the winch, the engineer handles the connection of the tow line. The logic here is that once the engineer has connected he is free to keep an eye on the engines. Letting go can be achieved without any one on deck as the winch brings the towline inboard. The leader or gantline on the end of the tow line is kept short enough to come on board with the towline.
Departing and arriving on the berth involves both the engineer and the deckhand. In a lot of cases the mooring lines are left on the berth so that the tug can pick them up as she comes alongside. The fwd spring is a set length and the others are turned up on the bits so that she lies in the same place every time in her berth.
Two men in my opinion is unsafe. I am not sure how they do it although I guess it is the engineer doing the running around. Some one has to start and stop the thing!
The tugs I am describing are all ASD or Voight. The master has to be able to handle the tug without any help from lines and springs. 
The engine room is run unmanned and all engine room readings are relayed to the wheelhouse. Both the engineer and the deckhand carry UHF radios for constant comms with the master.
Hope this helps..............


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## Tony Crompton (Jul 26, 2005)

Mike S said:


> The Master cannot leave the controls so that leaves the engineer and the deckhand.
> Winches are used to handle the tow lines. They are controlled from the wheelhouse. Usually on Aussie boats the deckhand works the winch, the engineer handles the connection of the tow line. ...


As a Pilot the connection of the towline is my main concern. In many instances it has to be done quickly, not much time from the ship being out of enough swell to safely connect the line before needing to berth,stop the ship, or swing round. On a large light tanker or bulker invariably the ships crew miss with the first heaving line,or else it has a "Bunch of Buggers" in (All tangled up in non seamans language) or else it blows away from the tug in the wind. Our tugs used to have a hook on a long bamboo pole that they could reach the heaving line or messenger with, one man could not do this. Also the larger the ship the greater the bulbous bow and the further away from the bow the tug is able to operate making the initial connection by heaving line,messenger or whatever you call it locally, far more "Hit and Miss".

Sure once connected the modern winches are great,the tugs are powerfull and in most cases quite adequate to control the ships they are handling but to my knowledge no one has automated the ships crew throwing the heaving line and still it needs "MEN" to catch it on the tug and secure the towline to be heaved up by the ships crew.

The man overboard situation just does not bear thinking about with nobody available to fish someone out of the water.

The ship always used to be held responsible and liable for any damage to a tug from leaving its base to being safely tied up back after the "Job". If,on the way to a ship, one of the two men fell over the side and obviously could not be retrieved by the other would the ship, its Master or Pilot be deemed to be liable!!

Surely in these situations "Health and Safety" have moved backwards since I retired.

Tony

PS who would ever trust an engineer to tie a knot correctly. (Only joking Chief!!)


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## Chris Wood (Jun 9, 2006)

Hi Martin, I have worked on tugs in Auckland for many years and have been master of a few ASD and Voith tugs. In 2000 the Ports of Auckland introduced two 50 ton bollard pull 22 metre tugs that were designed to be operated by two crew, a master and a deckhand/engineer. Although we were dubious of the safety of the operation and insisted on three men we soon had to accept the tugs were designed for two crew and after more than nine years and thousands of shipping movements we still have not experienced any event that could be attributed to the manning scale.
If there is any information you would like please p.m. me
Chris Wood


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## billyboy (Jul 6, 2005)

the Tug I refer to was the "Metrec" she was a twin screw job with kort nozzles.
We consisted of a Skipper. cook deckhand and engineer deckhand. she was about the same length as a TID, bit wider on the beam though. There were two barges being filled by the hydraulic digger/dredger. I would board one barge and the cook would board the other in turn. As we arrived back at the dredger there would be a barge full of chalk waiting for us. The digger would pull it alongside the pontoon (spud legs) having pushed the full one clear.
Each barge had its own tow line as a spare. but a heaving line from the tug secured the regular one.
It was a bit hectic to say the least but we stuck it out for 6 weeks before we quit.
the next crew lost a barge up the beach and actually managed to sieze up one of the Caterpillar engines.


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## Mike S (Dec 27, 2005)

Yes Tony I agree wholeheartedly!
However the tugs I am referring to do not take headlines on the run. They work alongside "lashed up"
Picking up the heaving line from the aft end is far easier of course as they are able to come right under the counter and yes we do have the long boat-hooks. 
These tugs work over their bows at all times when working ships on and off the berth. They are of course able to tow from aft and I have done so often. However they have more crew on board then.
As for the man overboard situation I agree however in 30 years working both the inner and outer harbour of Fremantle, Albany Port and twice in Port Hedland and on outside tows off the West Australian coast I have only heard of a man overboard once. 
There was one guy washed over the side off Leuwin however he was washed back on board! There was of course a full salvage crew on board at that time.


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## todd (Jan 24, 2009)

Apart from the safety matters I would like to know how the 2 man crew keep up with all the normal maintainence painting,cleaning,splicing,rope-works etc.,etc., or do those boats have a shore crew that comes on board every so often to do those tasks ?Not to mention all the paperwork LSA,Planned Maint.,running repairs.....?
Mind you crew lists would be a doddle.

Jim


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## vincent simmonds (Jul 12, 2008)

who makes the tea


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