Paper

To: From: Date: Re:

To whom it may concern Marinus Jansen Msc. August 17, 2012 Pilot transfers with tugs

Introduction
Tugboats perform a multitude of services in ports all over the world. Apart from their primary shiphandling and escorting duties, tugboats can perform various auxiliary services like fire-fighting and pilot transfers. To enable a safe pilot transfer operation the tugboat should be able to come safely alongside, provide a stable platform for the pilot transit and get in position for its primary service (either being shiphandling - or escort duties). Sailing away from a sea-going vessel at 8-10 knots with negative wave fields around the ship can be a challenging operation for any tugboat master. A great number of tugboat accidents have been contributed by the inability of conventional tugboats to steer away from an assisted vessel and tugboat masters losing control over their vessel. It is our firm belief that a master should always be in control of his vessel. Therefore a tugboat master should be able to operate in a safe manner and have the ability to steer away at all times. In addition a tugboat used for pilot transfers should be able to maintain a stable position alongside a vessel when delivering pilots. Some tugboat types are more suited for this purpose then others as this paper will explain.

Basic hydrodynamics
There are two types of ship resistance being friction (water flowing alongside the hull) and wave resistance (by alternating pressure fields from moving a body (the ship) through the water. This latter resistance creates the wave system around a ship as displayed in figure 1 and - 2.
Figure 1 , Wave system around a ship side view

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Figure 2 , Wave system around a ship top view

These waves are the result of high/low pressure field generated by the ship moving through a body of water and its surface boundary. In either case this pressure will pull a tugboat into a vessel, or push it away. Neither case is favorable when maintaining a safe- and stable position near a ship. For purposes of the below examples we assume a negative wake field when steering away and positive wake pressure field pushing a tugboat away from the assisted vessel when transferring the pilot. A tugboat master has no control of this wave system and it generally depends on the assisted vessel length (on the waterline) and speed while boarding. It is entirely possible that a tugboat is pulled towards the vessel near its front and pushed away towards its stern and/or vice versa.

Ship handling
Generally three types of propulsion configurations for tugboats are accepted in todays market environment. See also appendix 1 for more information on these types and their respective propulsion configurations In order to safely perform pilot transfer operations were looking for two key criteria in a tugboat 1) it should be able to steer away from the vessel at all times; and 2) a tugboat should be able to maintain its position to enable safe boarding by the pilot at high speed (10 knots). Figure 3 illustrates the respective tugboat types when steering away from a vessel. Figure 3 presumes a negative pressure pulling the tugboat to the assisted vessel. This effect being the worst case scenario when steering away from an assisted vessel.
Figure 3, Steering clear with a tugboat

Tractor and Rotortug type tugboats can steer away in a safe manner;

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Although these types are pulled towards the assisted vessel, the tugboat master can safely steer away using (one of) the forward thrusters. The thruster unit pulls the tugboat out of the negative wake pressure field; ASD tugs have a serious problem, the tugboats front is pulled towards the assisted vessel by the negative wave pressure field and there is no propulsion unit available to pull the tugboat clear; ASD tugboats risk collision on their aft side due to the tugboats midship turning point;

Pilot transfer
Main key tugboat criteria for pilot delivery is maintaining a stable position alongside an assisted vessel in order for the pilot to safely board. As previously indicated the wake pressure field alongside a vessel can vary from pulling nearby bodies next to it, to pushing them away. In order for the tugboat master to have full control of his vessel the tugboat should be able to exert forces towards its stern and bow. This same criteria applies for example when operating at a LNG carriers side bitt . See also figure 4 for the respective tugboat types.
Figure 4, Pilot transfer with tugboats

Tractor and ASD type tugboats experience difficulties maintaining their position alongside assisted vessel at10 knots; Wave system (and pressure effects) increase with speed (fewer, but higher waves); Rotortugs are able to maintain position alongside and enable safe pilot transfer due to thrusters fore and aft at 10 knots; Rotortugs can safely establish a towing connection on LNG carriers side bitts; Large area hull appendages and skegs commonly found on ASD and tractor escort tugs increase susceptibility to the listed effect.

Conclusion
Tractor - and Rotortugs can safely steer clear from assisted vessels when operating in close proximity to same (for example also when operating near the bow of an assisted vessel); Both tractor- and ASD-tugboats have great difficulty in maintaining a position alongside an assisted vessel at higher speeds; Rotortugs can safely maintain a position alongside assisted vessels enabling safe boarding of pilots at high speed; To be in control of their vessel a tugboat should always have the ability to operate in a safe and controlled manner; Rotortugs offer a tugboat master full control of his vessel during pilot transfers.

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Appendix 1 Tug boat comparison

Figure 5, Azimuth stern driven tug Figure 6, Tractor tug boat Figure 7, Rotor tug

Table 1, Comparison between an ASD -, Tractor - and Rotor tug boat

AZIMUTH STERN DRIVE TUG
Draught > 75 TBP Draught < 75 TBP Safe towing points Towing over stern Towing over bow Push/Pull Safe connecting to stern of speeding good, safe over the bow ship in waves and current Safe connecting to bow of speeding ship in waves and current BP sideways (pushing with the side) Side stepping Towline control at mooring in confined or restricted areas unsafe, due to less control good, safe over the stern with waves on aft deck limited BP approx 3-4 knts only in line with tow line due to one end propeller configuration limited BP approx 3-4 knots only in line with tow line due to one end propeller configuration high, approx 80% of max pull high, approx 6-7 knts good, high pulling in any direction (rotoring) due to unique triangle thruster configuration good, safe over stern good, safe: if waves not too high good, safe over bow less than Tractortug more than Rotortug less than Tractortug and Rotortug 1 safe towing point at the bow risk of capsizing by girting safe good, safe over the bow

TRACTOR TUG (f.i. VSP)

more than ASD and more than Rotortug more than ASD and more than Rotortug 1 safe towing point at the stern safe not possible good, safe over the stern

ROTOR TUG
less than ASD and less than Tractortug more than ASD and less than Tractortug 2 safe towing points at stern as well as bow safe safe good, safe over bow and stern

Towline control at narrow passages Positioning in current without force on townline Escort capabilities Propulsion or winch brake down while towing

goes outside path width, need to reposition see not possible

goes outside path width, need to reposition see not possible good, less when speed decreases, risk of capsizing at high speed (10 knts) assisting strongly restricted no propeller ventilation

stays within path width no need to reposition see good, thruster configuration makes dynamic position possible good, also when speed decreases still 66 pct BP, good maoeuvrability or via other winch good, no propeller ventilation. Extra: ability for wave damping with fwd thruster units during pushing

good, less when speed decreases

assisting strongly restricted risk of propeller ventilation

Behaveour in swell during assistance

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