Why Tugboats are Important in Harbors

Tugboats are such important water voyaging vessels that even Walt Disney drew Mickey Mouse driving one while whistling a happy tune in 1940’s Tugboat Mickey. Although Tugboat Mickey was the spinoff of 1920’s Mickey Mouse in Steamboat Willie, the scene depicting Mickey driving boats have been reused in various media forms including a cameo in Disney’s Aladdin and the King of Thieves.

Although tugboats played a major part in both World Wars, it’s production have slowed down since. However, tugboats still remain a popular vessel, and many builders continue to develop the technology used in tugboats as well as restores and upgrades older boats.

Unlike other vessels, tugboats aren’t used to explore the open seas. Instead, tugboats are used for assisting large ships or vessels in maneuvering in and out of harbors. Tugboats are also used to tow barges, which are powerless vessels that cannot move themselves.

Ships, even tugboats, don’t have technology that is strong enough to move them sideways, so the role of tugboats is to guide them when docking or leaving a port. Through ship assist, a tugboat can help maneuver them on all sides, or provide additional pull for brakes.

The uses of tugboats are quite diverse, and builders have continued to work on them to modernize and upgrade their towing capabilities. In fact, tugboats today are a lot bigger and powerful than they were years ago.

The Many Uses of Workboats

A workboat is just that: a boat that’s used for work. It may be for transporting freight or for commercial fishing; as long as it’s not for leisure or naval service, it is considered a workboat. Among the most widely used of these hardworking vessels is the tugboat.

Tugboats are mainly used to tow larger ships and help them dock in harbors. They are comparatively smaller than ocean-going vessels and yet are able to move efficiently. These small workboats operate on heavy duty machinery which gives them enough power to carry on their tasks. 

Tugboats are usually built in three categories: seagoing tugs, escort tugs, and harbor tugs. Seagoing tugboats are primarily used for pulling structures for relocation like oil rigs and similarly huge objects. Escort tugs, on the other hand, are used to escort bigger vessels navigate canals, while harbor tugs are used to assist ships in and out of ports safely and securely.

These workboats are also used for rescuing disabled ships and towing them to the nearest harbor where they can be repaired. Hence, tugboats are a must in all of the world’s oceans, rivers, lakes and many other water basins. Without these ubiquitous small seacrafts, many bigger ships may not be able to navigate or reach their destination safely. Indeed, workboats like tugs do work hard for whatever purpose they are used.

Tugboats as Workboats: Know these Workhorses

Workboats, as the name suggests, are used for work, and not for military, transportation or recreational purposes. Tugboats, which are essentially workboats, are small yet very powerful boats  that can maneuver vessels by pushing or towing them. They move ships that either cannot move by themselves, such as oil platforms, log rafts and disabled ships that need rescue; or should not move by themselves, since they are in narrow channels or a crowded harbor. There are three kinds of tugboats: harbor tugs, escort tugs and seagoing tugs.

Harbor tugs, or lunch bucket boats, are multiple-utility boats. They tow and assist vessels in and out of ports. They can pull barges or dead ships along ports or inside waterways like rivers and canals. Escort tugs are used to accompany large vessels along narrow, dangerous passages. They can either attach themselves to the bow to pull the other boat forward or at the stern to slow it down. Seagoing tugs can perform a variety of tasks from towing or salvaging a grounded vessel to pulling offshore drilling platforms.

If you’re in the marine industry, a tugboat is a valuable investment you should have. Modern tugboat manufacturers now follow quality construction methods, use high-tech equipment and have an experienced team of tugboat manufacturing experts in their shipyards. This assures you that you get only tugboats that are sturdy, highly manueverable and reliable.