The Little Boat that Could

A tugboat may lack the majesty of a sailing ship or the awesomeness of a warship, but it doesn’t mean that it’s any less useful. This little ship’s appeal lies in its compact power. If ships were basketball players, the tugboat would be the 5-foot-8 point guard that directs the play. Its small size may lead you to believe that it can’t do much, but nothing can equal the tugboat’s ability.

The tugboat may not have speed, but it pretty much makes up for it in terms of raw power—power it uses to push, pull, and maneuver to full effect. Its measly six to nine knot top speed makes riding on it seem like a trip solely made for pleasure, but no. Tugboats move large ships. They move full barges. In fact, they move just about any sea-faring mode of transport there is.

On the Delaware, the Hudson, the Mississippi, and other parts of America’s waterway system, tugboats move over 600 million tons of goods in a year. Just think—tugboats can pull a gasoline barge at capacity, which is 2,400,000 gallons of gas. If that much gas was transported by land, that would require a convoy of tanker trucks that stretch for nearly three miles, bumper to bumper.

Now that you know better, next time, never underestimate the tugboat again.

Everything You Need to Know About Tugboats

While cars may have large tow trucks to lug them around if they break down on the road, ships have tugboats. Unlike tow trucks, though, tugboats are comparatively smaller than the ships they tow. Tugs go to show that size doesn’t matter since they are powerful enough to haul large disabled ships, barges, and even oil platforms.

There are three types of tug boats: ocean or seagoing tugboats, river tugboats, and harbor tugboats. Ocean or seagoing tugs, as their name suggests, are used in the ocean and thus are especially made more durable so they can handle the occasionally difficult conditions of the waters. River tugboats are much like seagoing tugs, only they’re designed to be used in freshwater.

On the other hand, harbor tugboats provide assistance to large ships. Although large ships don’t have any trouble moving forward or backwards, they generally have trouble maneuvering sideways, hence the need for a “tug assist.” One or two harbor tug boats usually guide the ship in maneuvering sideways.

Aside from being tow trucks of the river or sea, some tugboats also function as rescue boats or icebreakers. Most also have firefighting monitors which allow them to help in fighting harbor fires.

Tugboat 101: Basic Facts about this Useful Vessel

Tugboats are trusty marine vessels that maneuver much larger ones by towing them. They can range in size from a small 50-foot harbor tug to a larger 250-foot or even bigger, offshore anchor tugs. Owing to their functions, they are made to be extremely powerful despite their size.

Tugboats are basically used to assist ships that should not move by themselves because of the danger of hitting smaller ships in the dock should they attempt to maneuver. They are also used to guide ships that cannot move without assistance because of their size, like huge barges. There are also tugboats for ship and harbor construction.

Aside from those that operate in the sea, there are also river tugboats or push and towboats. These are especially designed to work in the rivers, bayous and other freshwater bodies to transport passengers and cargo through or across. Their hull designs, and the absence of a hawser or winch make ocean operation dangerous.

With these varied functions, tugboats, are without a doubt, among the most important workhorses in the world’s seaports. Recently, hybrid tugboats have started to replace the older tugboats which consume more energy and cause air and water pollution. These hybrid tugboats have lesser carbon emissions, are quieter and more efficient.