International Tug & Salvage Returns to the United States

Returning to the US for the first time since 1996, the ITS 2004 Convention will include 27 papers and a Salvage Forum – covering a broader than ever range of important industry issues.

Topics to be discussed by the world’s leading experts include bollard pull determination, the Prestige incident and its ramifications, maritime security, underwater oil recovery, ports of refuge, tackling hazardous and noxious substances, tug construction in China, innovative tug designs, operational concerns and Articulated Tug and Barge Units. Delegate registrations are being received at an unprecedented rate and ITS 2004 is set to further boost the event’s reputation as the world’s largest gathering of tug, towage and salvage experts.

Organisers, the ABR Company report that the trade fair element of the event will be larger that the previous event ITS 2002 in Bilbao and dominated by propulsion and associated machinery manufacturers and tug building specialists. Caterpillar, as befits the primary event sponsor, will have a prominent stand in the exhibition hall but not far away will be Cummins, Deutz, Karl Senner, Nautican, Niigata, Rice Propellers, Rolls-Royce, Schottel, Thrustmaster, Twin Disc, Voith, Wartsila, and ZF Marine. These propulsion specialists will be joined by a number of associated engine room equipment manufacturers including Fernstrum, Kobelt, Bloksma, Kobelco and Duramax.

In spite of the Jones Act, US tug builders Bender, VT Halter and Washburn & Doughty will be outnumbered by overseas yards including Armon and Zamakona, two of Spain’s leading yards, Chile’s Detroit Shipyard, Damen and Kooren from the Netherlands, Irving from Canada and Turkey’s Sanmar Limited.