Routine Ship Towage

Minimum towage guidelines apply to all passage plan vessels (as defined in the Humber Passage Plan) and to certain larger vessels arriving at or sailing from docks and jetties on the lower river.

These guidelines have been agreed by all interested parties following consultation and a risk-assessment process.

The docks and jetties at which guidelines apply are listed below. At any location not listed, a master and pilot may still decide that tug assistance is required and should order accordingly.

General Comments

The vessel’s size, type and draught may dictate the minimum tugs that are required but the following points should always be taken into consideration:

• Ships Master/Pilot requirements, based upon experience.

• Size of vessel

• Windage

• Vessels draught.

• Vessels own mechanical propulsion

• Including number of Engines, Propellers,

• Rudder configuration and type,

• Any bow thrusters and/or stern thrusters,

• Any special equipment such as Dynamic Positioning capability,

• Operational status of above and mooring equipment suitability

• Vessels handling characteristics.

• Prevailing and forecast tide, weather and sea state

• Amenability and requirements of berth (i.e. condition of use).

• Availability and ability of crew to respond adequately to requirements.

• Exceptional conditions.

Tetney Mono - Buoy

This berth is subject to the “Humber Passage Plan” agreement and the minimum tugs required are as follows:-

Minimum number of tugs required:

Immingham General Statement

All vessels inward who require a tug or tugs to berth at IMMINGHAM DOCK, EAST or WEST JETTY, IMMINGHAM BULK TERMINAL, HUMBER INTERNATIONAL TERMINAL, IMMINGHAM GAS TERMINAL or SOUTH KILLINGHOLME OIL JETTY must reduce their speed and complete making tugs fast before the vessel passes berth No.3 of the Immingham Oil Terminal.

The Port of Immingham covers several river berths as well as the enclosed dock and can be divided in the following way: -

Immingham Oil Terminal

This consists of three berths, all subject to the Humber Passage Plan agreement and the minimum tugs required are as follows:

Minimum number of tugs and class required:

Note – () denotes the tug class corresponding to the minimum tug number requirement. Where a Class D is provided, the minimum number of tugs required will be increased by one to include the D Class tug, except in the case of a 50,000-80,000 DWT vessel berthing.

In the case of TANKERS over 80,000 DWT two tugs shall be made fast forward including a VOITH SCHNEIDER (Z – pellor) on the starboard shoulder.

If the agreed number of tugs cannot be assigned to the Humber Passage Plan tanker, the vessel should not proceed upriver.

See Section 5 of the Humber Passage Plan, book 2, for full details and appendix (a) of this document for full details of Howard Smith Tugs.

STAND BY TUGS. At any berth where a vessel of greater than 40,000 tons deadweight is in contravention of the terminal mooring requirements by having mixed moorings (i.e. using a mixture of ropes and wires to moor the vessel) then the vessel will have two stand by tugs whilst the vessel is alongside (at the vessels cost).

Immingham Finger Pier

This pier has four berths. A 700 HP twin-screw tug of 9 tons bollard pull is available 24 hours a day at Immingham Oil Terminal. The tug will be in attendance during all movements on and off the Finger Pier Berths for use at the discretion of Master /Pilot / A.P.T.
EMERGENCY TUG ASSITANCE FOR VESSELS BERTHED ON I.O.T. BERTHS.
It is essential that APT through their Terminal Manager, Marine Controller or other staff have the power to summon immediate tug assistance in circumstances where a vessel is approaching or leaving a berth, or is alongside a berth, at the Immingham Oil Terminal, whenever there is in their opinion a possibility of danger to the Terminal or to other vessels or a risk of personal injury.

Whenever possible the Master of a vessel will be consulted in advance of such action, but this may not always be possible in an emergency situation.

Immingham Dock

Certain vessels (other than ferries with sophisticated manoeuvring equipment) are classed as “tidal” based on their length and/or draft and will only be permitted into and out of the lock and adjacent jetties at HW or LW slack or in a tidal window or from 2 hours before HW up to HW and will have minimum tug requirements as follows: -

Tidally Restricted vessels up to 160m LOA and/or 8m draft are recommended to use 2 tugs when entering the lock.

Tidally restricted vessels over 160m LOA and/or 8m draft will be required to take a pusher tug in dock. One of the wire tugs should be a class ‘A’ tug.

Inward vessels should be met by tugs below the IOT and outward at least one tug should accompany the vessel until clear of IOT.

Humber International Terminal ( Immingham)

This consists of one berth which is subject to the Humber Passage Plan agreement and the minimum number of tugs required are as follows:-

Minimum number of tugs required:

On clearing the berth after sailing, one tug will remain with the vessel until she is past and clear of the IOT.

See section 5 of the Humber Passage Plan, book 5, for full details and appendix (a) of this document for details of Howard Smith tugs.

On clearing the berth after sailing, one tug will remain with the vessel until she is past and clear of the IOT.

See section 5 of the Humber Passage Plan, book 5, for full details and appendix (a) of this document for details of Howard Smith tugs.

Immingham Gas Terminal

This terminal has one berth, which is subject to the requirements of the Humber Passage Plan (when appropriate).

Minimum number of tugs required:

See section 5 of Humber Passage Plan, book 2, for full details and appendix (a) of this document for details of Howard Smith Towage tugs.

South Killingholme Oil Jetty

This jetty has one berth, which is subject to the requirements of the Humber Passage Plan (when appropriate).

Minimum number of tugs required:

 Humber Sea Terminal (North Killingholme)

The offshore, or No.1 berth is considered a normal riverside berth and Masters should use their discretion and experience in determining when to perform any particular berthing or unberthing operation without tugs.

The terminal is equipped with a current meter, anemometer, and tidal height data to provide up to the minute information on wind and current velocities.

The final decision on whether to berth / unberth rests with the Master.

Until further operational experience of No. 2 berth is established, vessels are only permitted to berth unassisted by tugs, when the following conditions are not exceeded: -

• Max: Acceptable Current: 3.5kts

• Max: Acceptable Crosswind: 15kts (Minimum size tug is 25 tonne bollard pull).

• When these conditions are exceeded, no vessel should attempt to berth at HST No. 2 without tug assistance.

A crosswind is defined as a wind blowing within 45º either side of a bearing on the beam of a vessel at the jetty, i.e. from 007º - 097º (T) or 187º - 277º (T).

Saltend Jetties (Hull)

See section 5 of Humber Passage Plan, Book 4, for full details and appendix (a) of this document for details of Howard Smith Towage tugs.

King George Dock ( Hull)

“Standard Vessels” inward or outward bound to or from this dock are required to have a minimum of two tractor type tugs with a combined bollard pull of 64 tonnes when the following criteria exists:

• The vessel bound to or from the dock exceeds 150 metres LOA,

• The River Terminal 1 berth is occupied by a vessel with a LOA in excess of 180 metres,

• There is a moderate wind, whose speed does not exceed 20 knots.

Vessels, which are not “standard vessels”, may be exempted from the above requirements, subject to approval from the Dock Master, Hull.

River Ouse

Small tugs are available from the Port of Goole. There are no requirements to use tugs in the River Ouse. Tugs would only be required in circumstances where a vessel has a particular problem, for example an engine or steering problem and is required to be moved to a repair berth.

Goole Docks

The use of a tug or tugs is left to the discretion of the Pilot / Master, though the Dock Master may require the use of a tug under certain circumstances.

Dutch River Berth, River Don, Goole

In order that vessels bound for this berth can pass safely through the Dutch River Bridge the use of a tug is required.

Wharves on the River Trent

There are no tug requirements for the berths listed below on the River Trent. Tugs would only be specified when a vessel has a particular problem, for example an engine or steering problem and is required to be moved to a repair berth.