Setting Sail on a Tugboat Business Venture

Tugboats are like the handymen of the maritime industry. They are capable of performing various tasks such as maneuvering large ships into docks as well as barges. If you are considering a career in the tugboat business, here are some tidbits of information you need to ponder on:

Be informed of all the necessary steps of the business startup as defined by your local legislation. For starters, contact a commercial insurance agent with sufficient experience in the maritime industry who has in-depth knowledge of the risks that a tugboat business entails. It's ideal that you secure a liability insurance with a coverage that encompasses common tugboat accidents.

You will also need to lease an office and docking space. Make your business as convenient as possible and gain more business opportunities by setting up your office near the major ports in your area. Your office should also be easily accessible from your dock's location.

Before purchasing your mighty fleet, you must first determine which jobs your tugs will have to do. This will help you determine what types of tugs to purchase. Moreover, choose captains and crew members with enough experience in maneuvering a tugboat, and who are familiar with the maritime policies in the area where they will be operating in.

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The Different Kinds of Tugboats

Tugboats are very important in maritime functions. For one, they are used to maneuver much larger ships through narrow waterways or through crowded harbor docks. They also power barges along with and against river currents. Moreover, they are essential in maritime rescue and salvage operations, and are also used to transport combustible and highly flammable materials.

There are several types of tugboats. Seagoing tugs, for instance, are some of the most powerful vessels out in the ocean. They have the power to navigate through open seas and oceans while hauling supplies to remote regions, or to tow ocean liners and other large ships that may be unable to move between ports on their own.

Harbor tugs are the most common tugboats out there. They are used to tow big ships along the harbor and navigate them safely into docks or harbor anchorages. They are, in essence, providing an additional engine to the ship they are towing and are often equipped with cushioning materials, particularly along the bow, to allow them to safely pull right against other vessels.

River towboats push barges in river systems and are constructed to get through narrow river passages and move up or down river currents. Commercial assistance towboats, on the other hand, are the equivalent of tow trucks for cars. They are used to tow smaller crafts that may be having some mechanical problems or are out of fuel. Meanwhile, specialized tugs are those designed for specific jobs such as escorting oil tankers and firefighting. 

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Tugs: Great Things in Small Packages

You've seen them along coastal areas, piers, and docks everywhere – these sturdy looking boats that look like yachts without the fancy trappings, or small fishing vessels without the nets and pens. Tug boats are, in fact, tough and strong work boats designed to tow or push other boats and ships more than ten times their size. A casual coastal watcher would probably see them as the least glamorous among seafaring vessels, but true nautical enthusiasts appreciate the tug's compact power, strength, and history.

Yes, tugs have a long and colorful history which dates back to the invention of the steam engine. The very first steamship, the Charlotte Dundas, was also officially the first tugboat. While assisting boats through various waterways was not the tug's intended function, its value as a tower grew as maritime companies increasingly needed to move vessels around water systems.

Tugs played a major role during World War I and II, since they helped move battleships as needed in the course of war. Improvements in the design of tugs were actually propelled by military needs during WWII.

The towing power of tugs increased once diesel engines were introduced. Diesel engines were lighter in weight, and needed less people to operate. Hence, tugs got easier and more economical to use. As the maritime industry is now making the effort to go green, however, new tugs that use less diesel and run on eco-friendly fuels such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) may soon become the norm.

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