Pilot Revalidation

21st August 2009

Tug-ship interaction

Jonathan Duffy
Australian Maritime College
 Tug-ship interaction

•Generally the tug attending a ship is much smaller than the ship

•The water depth for the tug may be quite deep, whereas it may be quite

shallow for the larger ship

•High powered tugs generally have enough power and manoeuvrablity to

be in less danger due to the interaction effects than lower powered tugs

•They are still affected by the interaction forces and moments

•Measurements of interaction forces and moments experienced by a

tractor tug keeping pace with a large ship are given on the next slide
Taken from
Dand (1995)
 Tug-ship interaction

•The next slide illustrates the sort of interaction forces and moments a

conventional tug will experience alongside

•There are areas near the bow and stern that are best avoided because

the rudder action adds to, rather than subtracts from, the effects of

interaction

•It is interesting to note that there is a tendency for the tug to turn under

the bow of the ship

Tug-ship interaction

Taken from Dand (1995)

 Tug-ship interaction

•In a confined space of a basin the propulsion devices on a high powered

tug can act as an effective pump

•Through acceleration of the fluid the pressure can be reduced between

the ship and waterway boundaries causing the ship to move in a counter-

intuitive manner

•The next slide illustrates a case where this can occur

Tug-ship interaction

Taken from Dand (1995)

 References
•Dand, I.W. 1995, Interaction, The Nautical Institute, Humberside Branch Seminar, 13 th
September, The Royal Hotel, Hull Humberside, pp. 1-20