PLUS: SAFETY, ROPES, CROSSWORD, CAPTION COMPETITION, ITA NEWS & UPDATE ON MEMBERSHIP AND ITA NEWS

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Welcome to the third InTerAction Magazine.

Well to date we have had just under 300 new members join which gives us a grand total of 1040 Tugmasters. Our total distribution list for this magazine is nearer 1200, this includes associate members. We need to keep getting the word out there, so if you know someone who isn't a member yet, let them know how easy it is to join and the benefits. Matt McGuire knows the benefits after winning a free trip to Barcelona with the ITA. The more members we have, the more attractive we are to sponsors, and the more sponsors we have, the more we can do for our members. As you can see from this magazine, we are trying to do more all the time, to give you a better service and ownership of your Tugmasters Association.

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Page 1. Cover, 2. Update 3. ITS Report, 4. AGM, 6. Books, 7. Robs Ropes 8. Caption and crossword Comp

Welcome...

We hope you find our 3rd edition of our magazine as entertaining and informative as our previous two.

Well we are all back from Barcelona now and busy catching up with all the new contacts we made on behalf of the ITA members. It was a fantastic conference and I have to say they are getting better each year. Over 450 delegates went to this one which is a record number. Everything to do with tugs was on display from the top to the bottom, inside and out. It is amazing how much you can learn from these events and how much time people from within the industry have for all your questions. When we spoke to the exhibitors they would really like to have the Tugmasters there to help them to develop their products further and especially to adapt them to the way that you think they would work best. You are the experience and knowledge that they need to progress. This is why we have run our free prize draw for one of our members to go to these conferences, if we can build our membership even further we could get more sponsors onboard to allow us to get more of you to these events. In this edition there is a write up from our prize winner Matt McGuire who is now an executive member and our new Vice President Les Thomas on their experiences from the event. A great read for you all. Enjoy this next edition. Best Regards Steve Sandy GM FITA

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Membership News

ITA Representatives in Barcelona

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ITS 2012 Barcelona So as many may know, I am the lucky one that won the draw to attend the 2012 Barcelona International Tug & Salvage conference. What an unbelievable prize for a young Tug Master like myself, I was blown away at the amount of information and knowledge I have walked away with, not to mention some of the people I had the chance to meet and shake hands with, Like Robert Allan. I drive a RAmparts 2800 class ASD tug, so for me this was a golden moment that I am sure will have a great impact on my future ahead. This conference for me had some really interesting papers that answered a lot of questions I have carried with me for many years, it has also opened my eyes to the amount of information and knowledge I was missing out on, well I can guarantee you that has all changed after such a busy but exciting 4 days at ITS 2012 Barcelona. Another part of the conference was the overwhelming array of exhibitors stalls, comprising of all types of manufacturers and suppliers of the latest training simulators, tug designs, ship builders, ropes, engines & thrusters, pumps and safety equipment. I feel I should also mention we had to attend some very nice welcoming cocktail parties and the final day Gala dinner was a great end to a great day. For all members of the ITA this is an item that must be on your bucket list as a tug master or mariner, and given that all you have to do is write a few posts on the ITA forum, next year I am hoping to see at least a hundred more names in the draw, I mean the whole point of the forum is to find and give answers to the things we need to know more about, and then why not be given the chance to top it off with a trip overseas to attend something that will change your life forever. I could not have spent my time in Barcelona with a more friendly and funny bunch of crew, and there is no doubt that I have made some friends for life, so for that I must thank those who I shared these great times with. Also my thanks must go out to the ITA for giving me the chance to have such a great time in Barcelona and Offshore Marine Services Alliance OMSA for covering the cost of my return flights to ensure I did not miss out on an opportunity of a life time. If you are not in the draw for next years competition you are going to miss out on the chance of a life time! Kind regards, Matt McGuire Executive Member

At the conference the papers that were delivered covered most topics involving tugs today, such as alternative power systems, propulsion systems, engines & fuel saving methods, winches & the latest development in rope splicing. Of great interest were the companies showing the latest development in tug simulators, they really are a tremendous way to complement practical training in tug handling. Also of great interest was the number of tug builders, that were not only showing their designs and manufacturing techniques, you had the chance to meet  people  like  Robert  Allan  (one  of  the  world’s  leading  tug  designers)  Ton  Kooren  (the  man  behind  the  RotorTug & and the founder of Kotug) who were amazingly approachable, and very keen to talk to Tug Masters. Damen took it a step further and had their latest 3212 on display in the harbour, you could book to go on a trip and witness a display of its capabilities, and if you were lucky enough, you could operate it. I got lucky! And it answers a lot of questions for me; it really showed the difference between our tugs and the latest designs. All the major suppliers of ropes, engines and propulsion systems, pumps, and safety equipment all had exhibitions displaying their products, this was of great help to me and has increased my contacts and knowledge of products we use, and might need to source. One of the standouts of the conference, which could be quite intimidating for a first timer, was the help, generosity and friendship of the ITA/Seaways Group. Arie Nygh, Andy Crawford, Neil Sadler, Steve Sandy, Robert Underhill and their wives. I do believe Wendy and I have made lifelong friends, which made the conference for us. Matt McGuire stayed with us and the Seaways group, he is a 30 year old Master for Offshore Marine Services Alliance in Austra-lia, Matt won the International Tugmasters Association Competition, for free entry to the conference and accommodation provided. It was a pleasure to spend time with someone like Matt who is the future of our industry. I attended the AGM of the International Tug Masters Association, which was held at the conferences facilities, and I am now a very proud Vice President of the Association. I would like to thank the Port for their support in attending the conference. Overall the experience has opened my eyes, to the “bigger  picture”  of  the  world  of  tugs,  and  has  made  be  a  better  and  more  informed  person  to  assist  those  coming  up  in  the  industry, and I would strongly suggest the Port look to support one Master to the event every 2 years. I expanded the trip to include the Ports of Rotterdam & Portsmouth, through my contacts with the ITA. Les Thomas FITA Vice President ITA

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WIN  A  FREE  TRIP  TO  TUGNOLOGY’13  IN  LONDON  Free hotel stay for three nights and all meals included

Members, it is that time of year again where we offer you the chance to attend the very best conference all about the towage industry. You will have the chance to listen to all the speakers at the event and meet likeminded people from all around the world, gathered together at the event. Don’t  forget  your  chance  to  meet  fellow  ITA  members  at  the  AGM  held  at  the  conference.

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INTERNATIONAL TUGMASTERS ASSOCIATION

Annual General Meeting

May 15th 2013 at 17:00 hrs

HELD AT Tugnology London

1) To confirm the Minutes of the Annual General Meeting 2012.

2) To consider matters arising from the Annual General Meeting 2012.

3  President’s  Report.  

4) Chairman's Report.

5) Election of the Executive Committee for 2013/14

Members standing down

Members standing down and offering themselves for re-election

New members offering themselves for election

6) Election of Vice Presidents and Executive Committee members 2013/14.

7) Any other business.

If you would like to put your name forward for a place on the exec committee or have

any questions that you wish the Chairman to read in your absence, then please send

them to steve.sandy@tugmasters.org

OUR SINCERE THANKS GO TO THE SPONSORS OF THE ITA

International Tugmasters Association, Shirley House, 63 Idsworth Road, Copnor, Portsmouth

Hants, PO3 6NL, UK. Web: WWW.TUGMASTERS.ORG Email: steve.sandy@tugmasters.org

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Anchor Handling Tug Operations I.C. Clark and M. Hancox This brilliant new book deserves to become the standard work on the sub-ject. The authors set out to give an insight into the operation of offshore vessels when anchor handling and towing, but more importantly they discuss the techniques which can be used to avoid placing such vessels into danger. To this end, there are a number of clear descriptions of stability considera-tions, and the reader needs at least a basic understanding of vessel stability. So this is a book for professionals, by professionals. Part 1 covers the theoretical aspects of power, thrusters, propulsion and steering as well as the environmental forces acting on the vessel. There is a detailed section on manoeuvring, and the authors also consider the effect of a tow on ship stability. They provide an interesting comparison between offshore vessels and seagoing tugs. Part 1 concludes with detailed case studies of the loss of the AHTS vessels Stevns Power and Bourbon Dolphin. These disasters really demonstrate the importance of the information provided in the earlier sections, and make for sobering reading. An appendix to this part makes a number of proposals for improving AHTS vessel safety. The proposals are sensible and practical, so we hope shipbuilders and legislators will give them the attention they deserve. Part 2 turns to more practical topics, although they all derive from the earlier theoretical discussion. There are sections on manoeuvring, bollard pull, anchor handling loads, individual duties and responsibilities, and some practical shiphandling exercises. The authors explain the dangers and give clear examples of how loads and forces may be calculated. One of the great strengths of the book is the clear discussion of the dangers inherent in even the most routine operations. Even the most experienced offshore master will learn something new from this excellent book. To reinforce the message of the book, the cover shows a poignant series of photographs of Stevns Power just moments before she capsized, and everything looks deceptively routine. The people on board are going about their duties without any inkling of the disaster which is about to overtake them. The volume concludes with Appendices giving the Norwegian guidelines for safety during anchor handling operations, and the NWEA Guidelines for moving and towing offshore structures. ITA members, including our President, are also quoted in an appendix devoted to the need for specific professional qualifications. Everyone involved in the offshore towing business should read this book –

it might, quite literally, save your life.

Regards

Alan Loynd FITA

Chairman ITA

Bedding in a New Tow Rope

Hopefully, from time to time you will be issued with a new Tow Rope, or for one reason or another you will have to crop an existing rope to freshen the working end, which will mean re-splicing a new Eye in the Rope.

When a rope is manufactured it is kept under a constant strain by the rope making machinery to ensure that there is a constant tension in the fibres and strands during the process.

This tension is nothing like a full power pull from your Tug when it is on the Job.

Also to make a rope useful it must have eyes or in some cases thimbles spliced into the end, this process will disrupt the lay and constructional structure of the rope.

Next when the rope arrives on the dock it will perhaps be on a reel, possible be bound in a “free  standing  coil”  or  even  neatly  coiled  into  a  “Pallet  Box”.

In getting it from these transport mediums you will be twisting it, perhaps bending it in several different directions in order to get it onto the winch drum, again disturbing the natural order of the construction of the rope.

How  can  you  best  ensure  that  when  you  first  go  to  use  this  rope  on  a  job  all  of  these  “disturbances”  do  not  stay  in  the rope or become permanently set into it?

The simple answer is to lay the rope in a straight line and reel it onto the drum with out dragging it over the wharf edge, along adjacent, steel or wooden deck, but of course some times this is not possible. However you will always have the sea!

Another challenge with putting a new rope onto a winch drum is that is generally a job for more than just a three man crew, in fact it is often best done with at least twice that number, a perfect opportunity to team up with another crew either by over lapping a hand over or working with another Tug crew. You help them, they help you! Or if neither of those options are available perhaps you can get assistance from the Administration team, offering a day or perhaps an hour or two of fresh sea air and an old shanty or two! Shanty not Shandy!

Whichever way you do it once it is carefully removed from the delivery medium and wound onto the drum, it should then be reeled of, perhaps with the assistance of a support boat, or another tug and bedded onto the winch drum correctly. (See my Paper on the ITA web site.) you then need to bring all the fibres, strands and the splices into line.

The simple way of doing this is to simply connect the end of the tow tope system to a bollard or even the bow or stern of another tug and apply a load of no more than 20% of your capacity to the rope. Hold this for a minute and then  let  it  relax.          Repeat  this  up  to  10  times.    This  will  enable  the  rope  to  “bed”  into  itself  and  the  splices  to      equalise and stretch out all the disturbances that have been introduced in the period from manufacture to first use.

This simple process will generally increase the life of your rope by as much as 10%.

The alternative is of course that where the rope is just winched from the delivery system straight onto the winch drum,  you  slip  and  go  to  a  job  pass  up  the  rope  and  get  your  first  order  of  “pull  of  Full”

The rope will be slipping on the winch, probably getting burnt by friction, the inks and twists will set in a permanent way and for the life of the rope it will be constantly giving you trouble as well as lasting for a considerably shorter life  than  expected.    Rope  Salesmen  may  appreciate  this,  but  your  owners  and  managers  won’t,  especially  the      accountants!

“Treat  your  rope  with  the  care  you  do  your  family  and  your  workmates  and  your  Tug  and  it  will  give  you  the  service  you  expect!”

Kind regards,

Robert Underhill

Semi-Retired!

M. +61 (0)488 777 785

Email. robert@underhill.com.au

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Robert Underhill “Kersplash”

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The best thought out caption for this pic will win a prize, be put on the website and also be up in lights in the next issue of InTerAction.

Get your thinking caps on and post your ideas on the forum  under  “Caption  Competition”.   It’s  just  a  bit  of  fun  so  come  on…

Please send any thoughts or ideas to:- The  Forum  and  click  “Caption  Competition”

Caption Competition

ITA Crossword

The winner of the last caption competition was Alan Preston. Who came up with:-

“Strewth,  I  know  they  proposed  de-manning, I didn’t  think  getting  rid  of  the  tug  was  part  of  it”

Prize  is  in  the  post  well  done  “Alan”

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2. Route from berth to berth (7,4) 5. Type of synthetic rope (7) 9. Propeller housing (4,6) 10. Tall, vertical structure (4) 12. High lift, balanced, semi-balanced etc (6) 13. ITA President (4,4) 14. End of anchor cable (6,3) 15. Doors and integrity (5,5) 17. Cow, half, clove (5) 19. Sausage, tyre etc (6) 20. European satellite navigation system (7)

1. Weather prediction (8) 3. Roof of 6 Down (6,6) 4. Used to order engine movements (9) 6. Bridge (5,5) 7. Compass housing (8) 8. Forward propeller (3,8) 11. Eye, back etc (6) 16. Speed control (8) 18. Video surveillance i.e. Engine Room

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EclipseCrossword.com