Tugboats for Maritime Efficiency

Tugs (tugboats or towboats) are powerful, strongly built, and ocean-going boats that manoeuvre vessels by pushing or towing them. This is done either by direct contact or by means of tow line.

Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbour or a narrow canal, or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, log rafts, or oil platforms.

Some tugboats serve as icebreakers or salvage boats. Early tugboats had steam engines, but today most have diesel engines. Many tugboats have fire-fighting monitors, allowing them to assist in fire-fighting, especially in harbours.

Types of Tugboats

LNG tugs

This tugboat offers hulk-like power, incredible gas-efficiency and an unmatched degree of maneuverability.  For companies with sea operations looking for a tug with gas-efficiency, hauling power and limited restrictions, the new LNG tug is an option worthy of strong consideration.

Deep-sea tugs

Comprises specially designed vessels that lock together in such a rigid and strong method. Vessels in this category are legally considered to be ships rather than tugboats and barges must be staffed accordingly. These vessels must show navigation lights compliant with those required of ships rather than those required of tugboats and vessels under tow.

Harbour tugs

Harbour tugboats are generally small and their width-to-length ratio is often high, due to the need for a lower draught. The number of tugboats in a harbour varies with the harbour infrastructure and the types of tugboats.

River tugs

River tugs usually do not have any significant hawser or winch. Their hulls feature a flat front or bow to line up with the rectangular stern of the barge, often with large pushing knees.

With marine logistics services provided by Dreg Waters Petroleum and Logistics, oil and gas operators in the Nigerian maritime space can access the best tugboats with immense benefits such as: increased response time, greater thrust efficiency, less by-products and less pollution.

That means companies can benefit from higher response time and better gas-efficiency.  For instance, in unseen situations, those seconds can mean a tug pulls a ship out of the way of an off-course ship.

In the long-term, this saves money and resources for the company and preserves the environment for all. This enhance operators to be more efficient, thereby making the overall company more efficient.