Anglian Earl delivers Clemenceau

Remarking on the safe and timely arrival of the ship, Captain Colin Harrison, Able UK’s, Head of Ports & Logistics said, ‘We were delighted with the high level of service provided by Klyne Tugs. This was a very high profile event and the commission was undertaken on schedule and with an essential overriding emphasis on safety. All parties involved deserve congratulating for a job well done.’

Now known as hull Q790, the former flagship of the French navy Clemenceau is a vessel of 32,780 gross tons, 255m in length, with a flight deck 51m wide. Anglian Earl left the French port of Brest at mid-day on 3 February and arrived off the Tees Estuary during the afternoon of the 7th. Local tugs met with Anglian Earl and its tow the following day and completed the berthing operation at the Teeside facility. The 735 mile sea tow was undertaken at an average speed of approximately 7 knots.

In spite of passing through the Dover Strait, one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, the carefully planned voyage was completed without difficulty. Anglian Earl is a powerful deepsea anchor handling tug with a bollard pull of 130 tons that has been employed on many important towage and salvage operations. The tug was under the command of Captain Leo Biocic, a highly experienced deepsea tug master who has been with Klyne Tugs for over 12 years.

Clemenceau is no stranger being towed. In 2005 the aircraft carrier left France in tow for breaking in India, and returned to Brest after16,000 miles and 135 days at sea. On reaching India, legal difficulties prevented the ship being handed over and the French Government ordered it to be towed back to France.