Some tugboat terminology you should understand before working with Dann Ocean Towing.
There are many different terms and phrases that are used when discussing tugboat towing and marine towage. We can’t go through all of them, but we wanted to share some of the most used tugboat terminology that you might hear:
Bollard Pull
Tugboats are measured by their bollard pull. This is the amount of force that a tugboat will exert at zero forward speed while sitting in calm waters. This gives an indication as to a tugboat’s effectiveness in any given waterborne towing situation. It is used in planning every operation.
Marine Towage
Marine towage is a very general term that encapsulates any type of towing operation that occurs on the water. This can refer to
- Barge transportation
- Marine construction assistance
- Salvage and rescue tasks
- Anchor handling, mooring services
- Harbor management
- Oilfield support
Barge Management
Barge management refers to all steps, processes, and personnel involved with towing or assisting a barge. This allows a towage company to track multiple vessels as needed. This also allows the creation of = strategic objectives based on the data collected from the beginning of the operation until the very end.
Tandem Towing
In many situations, a towage company may be asked to move a barge or other large vessel that is too heavy for a single tugboat to handle. When this occurs, many tugboats will work together — in tandem — to increase the towing capability.
Turnkey Project Management
Turnkey Product Management in the world of marine towage consists of professional support to clients in terms of logistics, pre-tow planning, outfitting, rigging, coordination, disaster relief, etc. The processes involved are handled by professionals in the industry with a single goal in mind — to safely and properly initiate and fulfill marine towage services.
Salvage and Rescue
The term “salvage and rescue” refers to a variety of situations where towage companies are asked to supply assistance following some type of adverse event. This can be anything from a dead vessel with mechanical problems to the rescue of a ship as part of disaster relief.
Mooring Services
Mooring refers to the ropes, chains, or anchors used by a vessel to secure it when in the water, but it also refers to the place where a vessel is located. Mooring services managed by a towing company are typically completed at a local level, i.e. in a specific harbor or similar location.
Towing Fleet
Like most industries involving vehicles, marine towage and transportation involves a fleet of ships. This describes the tugboats and towboats utilized by a single towage company. Typically, the fleet will include a variety of vessels with varying degrees of horsepower, bollard pull, towage capacity, technology, and overall functionality.
Anchor Handling
Anchors are used by a variety of vessels, but in the marine towage industry, they can be especially large and heavy. Anchor handling typically refers to tugboats being tasked with moving anchors used for oil rigs and then using those anchors to secure the rigs in place.
Trans Atlantic / Trans Pacific
These terms describe anything that reaches across the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean and is often used when discussing communication cables and international flights. In the world of marine transportation services, it typically refers to transportation and salvage services that take place deep into these ocean waters.
Contact Dann Ocean Towing for Tugboat Towing Services and Transportation
Dann Ocean Towing has more than a century of tugboat towage and transportation experience. If you have questions about any of our towing services, need clarification on any type of tugboat terminology, or would like to schedule service, give us a call at (813) 251-5100 today to schedule a free consultation.
