Fowey to downsize its tug fleet

The tugs in use at the Cornish port have become part of the picturesque local scene, appearing on postcards in their distinctive livery. But as sharp-eyed

Maritime Journal

readers will have noticed, all three vessels in the harbour services fleet have been advertised for sale. Two of the tugs,

Tregeagle

and

Pendennick are traditional single screw tugs of approximately 28m with main engines of 900-1,000bhp, built in 1964

and

originally purchased from well known fleets in the Firth of Forth

and

the Tees. The third, Polmear, is a tug-pilot tender of 14.6m with a bollard pull of 10 tons

and

built locally in 2004.

The main reasons given by Fowey Harbour Master Captain Mike Sutherl

and

for the need to reappraise the ports towage services are the closure of the nearby china clay berths at Par

and

a significant reduction in china clay shipments from the upriver berths in Fowey. In Fowey shipments have fallen from 1.2m tons in 2005 to 800,000 tons in 2007. A further factor is the increased manoeuvrability of modern ships using the berths that require much less assistance.

With all three tugs currently on offer for sale, the current plan is to acquire one modern, more versatile tug capable of carrying out duties around the port

and

with sufficient bollard pull to provide any assistance necessary to shipping using the port.