Suitable For Pushing?: Working With Tugs Training Course
Suitable For Pushing?: Working With Tugs Training Course
Suitable For Pushing?: Working With Tugs Training Course
An oil tanker came alongside the designated berth. However, correct positioning required the ship to
drop astern by about 15 metres. The forward and after backsprings were already on the shore bitts at
this time. The stern tug was fast with a line led through the centre lead aft and the Pilot ordered it to pull
the tanker astern. Inadvertently, the tanker overshot this mark and it was now required to move the ship
ahead by about five metres.
The Pilot was speaking to the tug on the radio in the local language. When the Master queried his inten-
tions, the Pilot explained that he had ordered the after tug to push the tanker on the transom stern in or-
der to move ahead. Realising that the transom stern was not a designated ‘tug pushing’ area, the Master
overrode this order: the tanker was warped ahead safely and correctly positioned by heaving on the after
backspring.
1. The Pilot’s failure to appreciate that the tanker’s stern was not a specially strengthened area that could
safely withstand the full force of a tug pushing the ship ahead.
2. Failure to control the initial astern movement.
Lessons learnt
1. Always maintain close communication with the Pilot and be fully aware of his intentions, particularly
when communications between Pilot and tugs and shore are in a local language.
2. If in doubt, query his intentions, and in case of disagreement, ensure that conflicting intentions / inter-
pretations are resolved before continuing with the
operation.
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