CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

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 1. INTRODUCTION

A tug or more commonly a tugboat is a secondary boat which helps in mooring or berthing
operation of a ship by either towing or pushing a vessel towards the port.
A tug is a special class of boat without which mega-ships cannot get into a port. Along with the
primary purpose of towing the vessel towards the harbour, tug boats can be engaged in the
purpose of providing essentials such as water, air, etc. to the vessel.
Tug boat eases the manoeuvring operation of vessels by forcing or tugging them towards the
port. Mega vessels can never be manoeuvred by their own. Also with the increased size of the
boat, they need tug boats to carry some of their domains and tow them through narrow water
channels.
Also tug boats become essential elements for non-self-propelled barges, oil platforms, log rafts
etc. These are small rather powerful boats due to strong structural engineering behind them.
Their propulsion system is the main reason behind their enormous strength. Some secondary
functions of tug boat along with easing mooring operation are listed below:
They can work as salvage boats and icebreakers.
These can also have fire fighting accessories so as to provide fire fighting assistance in
port or barges.
These are the most important marine element, as they act as saviour to the boat in hard
times such as in narrow canals and bad weather, but on contrary, the most neglected one
in the maritime industry.
The name Tug Boats gives a fair idea about the size and task of the vessel being discussed.
These are relatively smaller but very powerful for their size.

These are primarily used to tug or pull vessels that cannot move by themselves like disabled
ships, oil platforms and barges or those that should not move like a big or loaded ship in a
narrow canal or a crowded harbour.
In addition to these, tug boats are also used as ice breakers or salvage boats and as they are built
with fire fighting guns and monitors, they assist in the fire fighting duties especially at harbours
and when required even at sea.
With the developments in the shipping industry, the ships began to grow larger than they ever
were in history. It is easy to manoeuvre them at sea but becomes exceedingly difficult in narrow
sea strips and harbours because they can move forward and backwards with ease but usually
have problems with sideways movement.

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This is when the need for tug boats was felt and thus these vessels were introduced to help the
larger ships navigate the narrow waters. This came to be known as tug assist and thus the name
of the boats.
Most of these boats can also venture out in the ocean but some of them are not that strong like
the river tugs. The river tugs are towboats designed to help out in the rivers and canals. They
have a hull design that makes it quite dangerous for these boats to venture into open Ocean.

Applications Of A Tug:
The usage and functions of tugs vary from port to port as different ports have different
requirements and intakes. The common in all is pushing or towing mega boats or barges, their
usage depends on the following factors:
Port traffic volume,
Types of ships to be served by that tug,
Navigational obstacles to be catered,
Conditions of environmental protection,
Local laws and
Domains to be carried by a tug
The tug boats were one of the fir
has been replaced by the diesel engine.
An average tug boat has an engine of 680-3400 hp (500-2500 kW) but boats which are larger
and venture out into deep waters have engines with a power close to 27200 hp (20000 kW) and
a power: tonnage ratio ranging between 2.20-4.50 for large tugs and 4.0-9.5 for harbour tugs.
These are extremely high ratio especially considering the ratio of the cargo ships or generalships
that varies between 0.35-1.20. Such boats usually have engines which are quite similar to the
ones used in railway locomotives but with a notable difference that they mechanically drive the
propeller instead of converting the output to electric motor supply.
Since the manoeuvrability of a tug boat has been one of its assets, all the engine developments
over the years have focused on the aspect of improving on it without compromising on the
strength and power of the vessel. Thus the transition from the paddle wheels to the propellers.
The tug bo
cartoons. They have provided inspirations to many to create characters that have long lived in
the memory of the people and attracted many to study them. The real lifeboats and their crew
are as resolute and lovable as their counterparts in fiction and the cartoons.
Looking back, one can easily say that a tug boat is more than just a boat, and an important
jigsaw piece in the historical scheme of things about everything related to the sea.

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Classification Of Tugs On The Basis Of Purpose:
On the basis of purpose, they serve marine tugs can be of two types:
1. Escort Tugs: The tugs which are designed generally to escort and manoeuvre ferries and
barges to their destination are known as escort tugs.
2. Support Tugs: These are the tugs which provide support services at offshore along with
towing operations. These tugs play a significant role in berthing operations. Principal Types Of
Tugs On The Basis Of Design:
Mainly tugs used in the marine industry are of three types which are briefed as under:
1. Conventional tug
2. Tractor tug and
3. Azimuth stern drive tug
1. Conventional Tug:
These are the type of tugs which we are using from the time of our forefathers that are the tugs
made on the oldest known principle of tug development in its early stages. It is based on
obsolete or old principles conventional tug has lesser manoeuvring capability, but still in use in
almost all ports of the world.
But today with advancement in technology they are fitted with diesel engine with either one
propeller or a couple of propellers. Single propeller tugs are further classified into two classes
namely: right-handed conventional tug and left-handed conventional tug. The right-handed
conventional tugs are more common and more chances to be used than to the left-handed
conventional tugs. These are highly reliable. Board pull force is used to express power
efficiency. The important components of conventional tugs are briefed as under:
These have a classic rudder.
In the centre of the tug, there is provided with a towing hook. Along with other
components of tug positioning of a hook is of huge importance. The safety and
performance of the tug boat mainly depend on the towing point location. When towel
hook is accompanied by gob line this point can be taken towards the aft that is its
distance is reduced from its original value of 0.45 times LWL from the aft so as to
reduce tug manoeuvring.
Its stern consists of the power plant complex.
Configuration of propeller used:
Screw propeller
driven, thrust is developed in water by the propeller which responsible for the movement of
ships. These tugboats are designated on the basis of a number of propellers in them as:

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 Single screw tug implies one propeller conventional tug,
Twin-screw tug implies two-propeller conventional tug and
Triple screw tug implies three propeller conventional tug.
In conventional screw propeller tugs, moveable nozzle and rudders are provided but the whole
propeller is immovable or fixed.

Advantages:
The main advantages or features of conventional tugboats are as follows:
The construction of conventional tugs is quite simple which requires less maintenance,
so the maintenance and construction cost if these tugs are very low as compared two
other two types of tugs.
These are self-sufficient thus requires no support system.
Smaller is the propeller larger be the open water.
These tugs have an upper hand and maximum efficiency in towing carried for port-to-
port.

These provide complete assistance with pushing and tugging operation while carrying
towing on a line.
The operation cost is quite low and seems economical while working with moderate-
sized vessels.
Disadvantages:

of conventional tugboats and these are briefed as follows:

The designing principle is very old thus it degrades the performance standards.
They are unidirectional and cannot work in the reverse direction until provided with a
reduction gear to facilitate reverse flow.
There are more chances of cavitation in these tugs.
The stability and strength of these tugs is less as compared to the other two.
Their usage is limited to small and medium boats due to obsolete design principles so
azimuthal stern drive tugs and tractor tugs are employed to assist the mega boats.

The repositioning of the tugs is quite slow due to restricted manoeuvring capacity.
There are more chances of capsizing or overturning of the vessel which results in fatal
accidents. To overpower this issue of capsizing and halting the development of girting,
a release hook is required.

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 Conventional tugs have low values of astern power
2. Tractor Tug:
The key to the true tractor lies in the use of 2-multidirectional propulsion unit, of which some
are rather like large rotating outboard motors with other consisting of rotating vertical blades.
They enable the thrust units of the tug to be placed side by side, more or less under the bridge,
thereby facilitating spectacular manoeuvrability in the right hands.
The towing point can be placed much nearer the stern so as to get maximum output from the
propulsion units, and therefore the thrust is always outside of the towing point, thus creating a
good positive turning moment. The rotating disc decides the magnitude of the force of thrust.

winch drum with a remote control joystick control from the bridge. The tug master can thus
alter the span of the towline at his will and with considerable ease. Their precision in
manoeuvring makes them the most widely used tugs.
Advantages:
It being the most important type of tugs, tractor tug has many positive points. Some of its
advantages are briefed as below:

These are the only tugs which provide full thrust over 360 degrees.
They have rapid power-on response time and are well known for their outstanding
manoeuvrability.
In contrast to the conventional tug, tractor tugs are adaptable to repositioning swiftly on
the will of the pilot or on demand of the towing job in which they are employed. So
these are readily available tugs with high-efficiency values.
Their control systems are very simple and they pose a very low risk of girthing or
capsizing.
These have an extraordinary performance with fast speed.

They can effectively overcome the interaction forces when interacting with ships at
some close distances.
They can work efficiently in sideways movement due to the close location of the
propulsion unit to the turning point.
They have improved operational capability in a restricted area such as a lock flow
channel.
In these types of tugs, a rudder is not required that is the use of rudder can be eliminated.
They have reliable and robust propulsion units.

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Disadvantages:
The tractor tugs are the most effective and most powerful sort of tugs. As everything has certain
cons along with pros these too have certain loopholes mainly their complexity and cost and
other drawbacks of these tugs are as follows:
These kinds of tugs have less bollard pull as compared to ASD tugs.
They are considered to have very high capital investment costs it implies a lot of money
is required to buy these tugs and maintain these tugs. In short, it confers that initial and
maintenance cost of tractor tugs is very high.
The repair and maintenance of complex under-water units of these tugs are quite
expensive
Handling in an open seaway might be poor with the short distance between the pivot
point and the thrust creating a short turning lever
Heeling angle with full side thrusts may be up to 21 degrees with some tugs. Therefore,
the risk of damage can exist when lying alongside a ship
Sophisticate under-water units may be damaged on grounding
A draft may be up to 5m which is large in comparison to conventional tugs

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3. Azimuthal Stern Drive (ASD) Tugs :

These tugs are midway between conventional tugs and tractor tugs as these utilize some of the
benefits of both conventional and tractor tugs. It can have two towing locations, one forward
and one amidships and main propulsion is from two rotating azimuth units which are placed
rather like a traditional twin screw tug.
Advantages:
These are considered more efficient than conventional tugs but less efficient than tractor tugs.
Major advantages of using ASD tugs are as follows:
Better directional stability at speed
They are more suitable hull form for open waters and working in a seaway
They have improved bollard pull

The azimuth units are easy to withdraw for maintenance and repair
The maximum heel with side thrust is less than 15 degree which is in contrast with
tractor tugs having the value of twenty-one degrees.

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 These tugs have a shallower average draft of 3m
Disadvantages:
These tugs are difficult to work with as compared to tractor tugs and other drawbacks working
with these tugs are as follows:
The side-stepping ability of ASD tugs is not so good.

The squat at the stern and flooding of the aft deck has been acquainted with occurrence
with certain types when backing with full power
They are still susceptible to girting or capsizing when using aft towing position.
These types of tugs are slightly more at risk from the effects of interaction
These have slightly Complex control systems
These tugs are more susceptible to rubbish damage in propellers
It is not uncommon for 99 % of all towing to be limited to forward position

1.1 CHANGES HAPPENED OVER THE YEAR

At least in terms of their stability and basic safety has not changed much since 1970. What
have really changed are the size of ships and the pace of international shipping and therefore
the commensurate demand placed on tugs, tug crews and on pilots to move this ever larger
and more cumbersome ship into port as quickly as possible. Tugs have grown in power, but
not so much in size, at least not in length. Reason for this is regulation Pressure.

1.2 GENERAL FUNCTIONS OF TUGS

Tugs have many configurations in maritime commerce, form basic ship-assist operations to
making worldwide tow with valuable cargoes. The following are the most readily
identifiablefunctions of tug, each requiring quite different vessel characteristics

SHIP HANDLING
This is by far the dominant role for tugs worldwide, but in many ports there is
insufficient volume of shipping to justify a dedicated fleet of assist tugs. In such
circumstances tugs are often also used for general towage, in support of marine
construction work, and sometimes to perform salvage duties. Such diverse duties can
result in considerable compromises to the design.

Given the worldwide trend to larger and more specialized deep-sea ship types, the
demands placed on assist tugs are becoming much more onerous. Consequently, the

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size and particularly the power of tugs have increased dramatically over the past
decade. New buildings of ship-assist tugs are dominated by vessels fitted with omni-
directional propulsion systems, either Z-drives or cycloidal propulsion. As tug
operators and pilots become accustomed to the distinct manoeuvring and
performance advantages of this type of propulsion, there is a diminishing demand
for new tugs with conventional screw propulsion in the assist role, although in less
busy ports there is still a need for capable tugs of lowest possible cost, and in these
ports it is difficult to justify the higher cost of the more sophisticated propulsion.
However, in general fewer tugs with omni-directional propulsion are required to
perform a ship-docking than would be the case with conventional tugs.

ESCORT TOWING
It is critically important to distinguish between "escort" towing, which is generally
defined as taking place at speeds in excess of 6 knots, often up to 10 12 knots, and
more conventional ship assist which takes place in harbour or harbour approaches at
speeds below 6 knots.
Legislated escort towing originated in the United States in the early 1970s, but has
really emerged as a "cause celebre" since the imposition of OPA '90 in the wake of
the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
Virtually all ports in the USA are now implementing or considering a requirement
for tug escort of all tankers, and in some cases also for tank barges.
Escort towing demands tugs with high speed capability, and the capacity to apply
highline forces to tankers which experience a failure of their propulsion or steering
systems at these higher speeds.
Depending upon the confines of the area which the vessels are transiting, tugs must
operate either tethered or free-running. Realistically, to be effective an escort tug
mustoperate tethered, otherwise the time delay in connecting results in the ship
establishing momentum off course and the arrest manoeuvre becomes much more
difficult and the distances travelled much greater.
The largest forces applied in attempting to stop or turn a ship result from the
hydrodynamic forces generated by the tug hull, especially those which have large
skegs. Line forces as much as three times the static bollard pull have been recorded
in full-scale trials, where the tug positions itself approximately normal to the line
force.
The use of tugs in this "indirect" mode raises serious concerns about the safety of
the tug. Putting a tug sideways to such high forces demands that the stability be
exceptionally high, that the tug be designed to ensure it will "fail-safe" to a neutral
position in the event of its own power loss, and that the tug operator be extremely
vigilant of the tug's attitude, especially the potential for deck edge immersion.

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 Further, there are concerns raised about the ability of deck fittings on the majority of
ships to withstand the magnitude of forces generated in this mode. Special towing
fittings and/or reinforcement will be required on any sea-going vessels requiring
escort.

COASTAL TOWING
This class of tug has not featured much in recent new-buildings, certainly not for
dedicated towing service. More common are multi-purpose tugs which can perform
ship-assist work, and which are also capable of performing limited coastal tows
when there is insufficient demand for their services in port. Conventional twin-screw
propulsion systems, with large propellers and fixed nozzles are the preferred
arrangement.

OFFSHORE SUPPORT
There is a unique class of tugs which are utilized principally in the support of
offshore oil exploration and production activities. These are used primarily for
anchor- handling and rig moving duties, but many are also providing a limited supply
role. These tugs tend to look more like supply vessels than traditional tugs, usually
having large open aft decks and open sterns. These tugs are almost universally
conventional twin-screw tugs, although some are adapting Z-drive technology where
close-in manoeuvring is a critical performance function.

SALVAGE AND OCEAN TOWING

The past 10 15 years have seen a dramatic reduction in the number of dedicated
ocean salvage tugs operating worldwide. Coincidentally there has been a change in
the International Salvage Laws to recognize that "Liability Salvage" awards should
bemade to a salvor for intervention before a disabled vessel causes a major pollution
incident. There has also been a trend to coastal states setting up their own dedicated
"rescue towing" systems, with authority to take a disabled vessel in tow to ensure
the safety of their coastlines from pollution. This has led to much debate between
salvors and governments as to the roles to be performed by these vessels, and by
what means they should be paid for their services.
Tugs of this class find some work on large tows, particularly moving oil rigs and
largeoffshore structures.

FIRE FIGHTING
The tug can perform fire fighting operations, especially at oil terminals near the port
and transhipment region. The Fi - Fi unit must be capable of supplying a large
quantity of foam at a high rate of application.

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1.3 MODERN TOWING OPERATIONS

There are four main positions around a ship where a tug will exert a towing force:

FORWARD

Traditionally this has been the position for the first tug to be made fast. Although
new research has backed up modern thought that this is really the least effective
position inthat the steering forces that can be exerted with a stem propelled tug are
minimal untilthe way is almost off a ship. Braking forces are nil until the tug can
either come around through 180 degrees or pull the ship into a tight turn to reduce
its speed. Not only is the bow the most difficult position for the tug at speed, it is
also the least effective point to apply a turning moment through the lever arm being
short and the applicable force being limited.

Figure 1-Forward towing operations

SHOULDER

This was a secondary position forward but is used to reduce the danger to the tug and
simplify the towing gear and crew requirements. Push/pull operations were developed
particularly in USA, Japan and Australia where lock systems did not complicate the
towing operation. However, the effectiveness of trying to turn a vessel from here is
somewhat similar to the forward position but several special points need addressing. To
turn a vessel, a tug positioned on the inside of the turn (i.e. acting as a back spring
against the ships motion) will assist the turn much more than pushing from the outside
of the turn. Indeed the pusher may initially drag the ship into a turn the wrong way due
to the resistance of the tug inducing a back spring effect. Swell conditions are the enemy
of this operation as not only is the tug likely to range up and down the ship's side, the
short towlines used minimising any spring properties. However, off the berth the push
on the shoulder is invaluable. Modern ships with enormous flare and overhang often

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mean the tug is positioned so far aft to be pushing at the pivot point meaning there is no
turning lever, merely a push bodily through the water

Figure 2-Shoulder towing operation

QUARTER

Again, flare and overhang influence the effectiveness of a tug working in this position
as to how far aft the effective push may be applied. Obviously, the further aft the
better but then the tug is both drawn in to the low pressure zone but may also become
perilously close to the rotating propeller. For a safe approach, it is often necessary for
the tug to land amidships and then move aft to the towing lead. Often the lead is near
the bridge front which means that for a 30 metre tug the safest position is to lie forward
of the towline until required. However once in this position good turning forces are
achievable but only when positioned on the inside of the turn.

AFT

Line towing at the stem is now well recognised as the most effective towing
position with respect to both braking and steering assistance, but only since the
advent of modern manoeuvrable tractors such as the Voith Water Tractor has this
become day-to-day practice, since conventional tugs are only effective in this area
at minimal speeds. The single biggest advance in modern towing, that of indirect
towing came about through the hull design of the tractor with the skeg under the
after body. It was found that with careful positioning of the towing point above the
skeg, the tractors hull resistance (aided by the large skeg) when being pulled

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 through the water at oblique angles to the towline, could generate massive towline
forces far in excess of the nominal bollard pull. Furthermore, in contrast to other
towing methods the towline force actually increased with the ships speed.
Considerable research and development has gone into refining this towing method
particularly with escort towage becoming today's catchword with its demands for
dynamic assistance in potentially catastrophic circumstances of steering and or
engine failure in confined waters. In this operation, the hull and skeg resistance
generate the towline force with the propellers merely aligning the hull to the correct
towline angle both to itself and the ship.

1.4 FACTORS AFFECTING TUG PERFORMANCE

The following factors influence tug assistance:

Port particulars, including:

Restrictions in the fairway, port entrance, passage to a berth, turning circle.
Manoeuvring space at a berth or harbour basin, available stopping distance, locks,
bridges moored vessels, water depths, speed restrictions, and so on. Berth construction,
including type of berth: open, e.g. jetty, or solid.
The ship, including:
Type, size, draft and under keel clearance, trim, windage, and factors such asengine
power ahead/astern, propeller type, manoeuvring performance and availability of side
thrusters and specific rudders.
Environmental conditions, including:
Wind, current, waves, visibility, Ice. Wind forces Current
forces
Wave forces
Method of tug assistance, including:
Towing on a line, operating at a side or a combination of methods
The effect of mass and berth construction.
Tug wash effect

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