The life of tugs

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

We have been discussing long-distance tugs, so perhaps there is some interest here in the ordinary run of the mill tugs too.

My particular question concerns a tug called Bonden. Not even sure whether she is a run-of-the-mill tug -- in any case, she is very active and adventurous!


Bonden again by prondis_in_kenya, on Flickr

I met Bonden in the port of Lysekil, north of Göteborg in Sweden, where she was being painted and beautified. I thought she was perhaps a port attraction, but was told, not so. Not only had she been tugging an oil tanker the other day, but she was now off to Svalbard, where she would be working throughout the winter.


A good look at the tug by prondis_in_kenya, on Flickr

This evening, I looked her up on Marinetraffic :

http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/shipdetails.aspx?MMSI=231802000

Registered in the Faroes, now heading from Tromsø to Svalbard. And the 48 photos in the Marinetraffic site show her all over the place in Denmark, Sweden and Norway, on the sea, in ice, on canals and on lakes. Is this normal in the life of tugs? Are they all as adventurous as Bonden?

And another question for those in the know : For a long journey from Göteborg to Svalbard, how many crew would she need on board? I suppose they would have to stop off here and there for the night?

[Twynkle]

More about the good ship, Bonden!
http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=1577779


Thank you Isabelle - it's good to have a Topic on Tugboats!
Calshot (Soton), the Beavor tugs (Clyde), the Svitzer sisters, Thames Tugs, the Brocklebank....
my iMac is creaking under the weight of a fleet of them!
Can't wait to get this going; there are other tugs here on the Forum, however they are all linked to QE2!

[Bruce Nicholls]

The most interesting thing about many tugs is their use of the Voith Schneider propulsion system which dates back to the late 1920's. This enables the tug to go in any direction at full power. However I can't find out ift Bonden uses this system.

[Twynkle]

Hi Bruce

The most interesting thing about many tugs is their use of the Voith Schneider propulsion system which dates back to the late 1920's. This enables the tug to go in any direction at full power. However I can't find out ift Bonden uses this system.

Is this system also fitted on tugs that can swivel 360º from their 'midriff' upwards?

There were a few rare older tugboats on parade at the Thames Pageant too, including the brilliant twin screw Portwey (1927)! She's moored in W India Dock, Canary Wharf.
http://www.stportwey.co.uk/

[Bruce Nicholls]

Hi Twynkle
Yes that would be it. The best description of how it works is on Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voith_Schneider_Propeller

The system is also used on small ferries such as those operated by Wightlink to enable them to run without having to turn round. Ships using the system are capable of extended voyages as the three Wightlink ferries Wight Light, Wight Sun and Wight Sky were all built in Croatia and sailed to the UK under their own power.
http://www.wightlink.co.uk/about-us/our-fleet/wight-light

[Peter Mugridge]

I thought those three new Wightlink ferries had conventional propellors at each end and that's why all the legal arguments over them in Lymington?

[Bruce Nicholls]

Hi Peter
They definitely have Voith Schneider propulsion. 2 actually. See the Wightlink website for the ship details.
http://www.wightlink.co.uk/about-us/our-fleet/wight-light

There used to be a very good log of the journey bringing the three ferries from Croatia, but they seem to have removed it recently.

[Clydebuilt1971]

The most interesting thing about many tugs is their use of the Voith Schneider propulsion system which dates back to the late 1920's. This enables the tug to go in any direction at full power. However I can't find out ift Bonden uses this system.

Bonden was built in 1975 as a Tug / Icebreaker and is screw driven with a bowthrust rather than VS - see details below information from TugsList:

Tug/Icebreaker (sisterships: BONDEN, BOHUS, DYNAN)
Registered: IMO 7388669 /(SWE)ON 11500
349 GRT, 105 NRT, L32,50m(28,60), B10,39m(9,75), Dr5,125m, Dp5,75m - ice, fifi
steel, 1 cpp, bowthr., diesel 4t 6cyl Lindholm-Pielstick type 6-PC2-5L-400, 3900bhp-2868kW, sp 14kn, bp 38t

BONDEN
1974: Built by "A/B Åsiverken" at Åmål (SWE) (YN 107)
1975 -xx/01: delivered to "A/S Bohus Tug" at Uddevalla (SWE)
        (SWE flag, regd Uddevalla, ON 11500, c/s SJAR)
1977: To "Stockholms Frihamns A/B" at Stockholm (SWE), renamed HEIMDAL
        (SWE flag, regd Stockholm, ON 11500, c/s SIVD)
198x: To "Scantugs - Scandinavian Towage & Salvage A/B" at Stockholm (SWE)
1988: To "Røda Bolaget A/B" at Gøtheborg (SWE), re-renamed BONDEN
        (SWE flag, regd Lysekil, ON 11500, c/s SIVD, 357 GRT, 107 NRT)
1993: To "Svitzer Sverige A/B" at Västra Frölunda (SWE), mng "Røda Aktiebolaget" at Gøtheborg (SWE), stationed at Brofjørden
        (SWE flag, ON 11500, c/s SIVD, MMSI:265220000)
2010-: still in service

Hope this helps.

[Clydebuilt1971]

The other option for propulsion is azipods which are the most common method for cruise ships (2 or 3) in the case of QM2 she has 4 the outboard two are fixed the inboard two rotate to provide steering without the requirement for rudders.

A lot tugs have this propulsion system or a similar variant also .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azipod

G

[Clydebuilt1971]

Registered in the Faroes, now heading from Tromsø to Svalbard. And the 48 photos in the Marinetraffic site show her all over the place in Denmark, Sweden and Norway, on the sea, in ice, on canals and on lakes. Is this normal in the life of tugs? Are they all as adventurous as Bonden?

And another question for those in the know : For a long journey from Göteborg to Svalbard, how many crew would she need on board? I suppose they would have to stop off here and there for the night?

Hi Isabelle,

Tug design varies depending on the application eg the tugs that assisted QE2 throughout her life would mostly have been harbour tugs which are designed to assist vessels onto berths, perform other small towage jobs and sometimes provide firefighting capabilities within the confines of a river for example. Propulsion would also have varied depending on age. eg clyde tug Flying Phantom (now sadly no longer with us) had a crew of four and was propellor driven with a kort nozzle (see attachment). This is a sort of open ended tube which slides over the propellor, some have a fixed rudder blade also - Phantom's was steerable which meant that it could be turned to port or starboard much in the way a rudder works (the prop does not turn, only the nozzle). The advantage of a kort nozzle is that due to it's proximity to the prop it allows the tug to manouvre in tight spaces at low speed. More Phantom info on Clydebuilt Database http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=437

Voith Schnieder has the same advantage but vessels with these units tend to be heavier on fuel (so I am told).

Schottel drives or Azipods are another option. In 1997 Flying Phantom had a retractable pod fitted which when needed would emerge from a compartment in her hull (unfortunately not shown in the attachment) and could used in conjunction with the vessel's main propellor to provide more "pulling power" and additional manouverability. The trade of this was the increase in the vessels draught when it was deployed as it protruded below the line of the keel. Tugs tend have " a lot down below" to aid stability when manouvering large vessels (keeps the centre of gravity low)

Ocean going tugs are a different proposition as they are larger, more powerful and tend to be pod or screw driven.

Hope this helps and isnt boring you all  - I love tugs and am currently tryng to find the time to complete my 1:32 scale Flying Phantom in memory of her crew and of course the vessel herself!!

Gav

[Lynda Bradford]

Thanks for setting up this interesting topic Isabelle. 

I always looked forward to being on deck to watch the tugs assist QE2.  It certainly was very much part of the joys of the sailaway.  I wish I had taken notes about which tugs in which ports but the only record I now have is the photos that were taken. 

When QE2 was anchored on the Mersey in 2004 Tugs were brought in to hold her steady.  I love this photo that shows the tug, Gladstone keeping QE2 in place. 

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Bonden was built in 1975 as a Tug / Icebreaker and is screw driven with a bowthrust rather than VS

Thank you very much, Gav -- and thanks also to all those who have made this topic so interesting!

What would distinguish a tug  / icebreaker from other harbour tugs? As such, she is in any case well qualified to face the winter in Svalbard!

I am still intrigued by a tug serving in so many places -- is this quite common in the life of tugs?

BTW, I believe she is a Svitzer tug -- maybe they shift their tugs around the various ports where they serve?

[Clydebuilt1971]

What would distinguish a tug  / icebreaker from other harbour tugs? As such, she is in any case well qualified to face the winter in Svalbard!

I am still intrigued by a tug serving in so many places -- is this quite common in the life of tugs?

BTW, I believe she is a Svitzer tug -- maybe they shift their tugs around the various ports where they serve?

The icebreaker tug would have a larger stronger hull and more power I would imagine.
It is common for owners move their tugs around a lot. The tugs we have on the Clyde are Svitzer - and have seen service on the Bristol Channel and other areas in the UK. Sometimes tugs will be relocated if a particular job requires a facility not available on any tugs currently serving that area.

Gav

[Bruce Nicholls]

Fascinating facts. Thanks Gav.

[Clydebuilt1971]

To give an idea of what a conventional old school harbour tug looks like out of the water here is a photo (found it on my HDD so cant remember the exact origin) of an ex Clyde tug at Las Palmas. She is called Iron Bull at this point but she was orginally launched as Warrior in 1969 at the yard of James Lamont & Co, Port Glasgow and was renamed Thunderer in 1973. She was sold out of the Clyde fleet in 2003 and was renamed Iron Bull. Records show her as still in existence.

Anyway - you can see her kort nozzle and amount of draught.

Gav