Tugboats
Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons
If lifeboats are the heroes of the maritime world, tugs are the work horses. Without them, large vessels cannot traverse narrow waterways or dock safely.
I’ve always thought of tugboats as working with bulky container ships, pushing and pulling, manoeuvring them round acute angles into ports and nudging them onto moorings.
Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons
Otherwise, I’ve seen them accompanying those moving blocks of flats called cruise ships, or hauling barges carrying heavy loads along busy rivers.
_is_towed_into_the_Elizabeth_River.jpg)
I didn’t realise until recently that they are also used to assist submarines entering port, though of course it makes sense. Submarines on the surface are not easy to manoeuvre and cannot reverse without risking damage. Tugs help them to rotate and also act as brakes.
Interesting... I'd never given much thought to tugboats (outside the occasional children's book or toy) until I went on a cruise many years ago and saw these tiny little boats down below us guiding us to see. I was fascinated and only then realized what workhorses they truly are.
ReplyDeleteThings we don’t think about.
ReplyDeleteSometime things need to be called to our attention.
ReplyDeleteWe see them sometimes on the Great Lakes pulling boats. So small, but so mighty!
ReplyDeleteOn a side note, I do like seeing those container ships. They are massive! Felixstowe, near where I'm from is a really busy port. There are boats that you can take that take you really close to those container ships and it's amazing to see how big they are!