TOWLINES

In 1987 Maersk took delivery of four ‘L’ class AHTSs and while they have now moved to new owners are all still going strong. In 2003 one of the four, Maersk Logger, became the Anglian Earl for Lowestoft based Klyne Tugs who had the UK ETV contract for the MCA. Ownership later passed to JP Knight Ltd and during this period Anglian Earl acted as relief ETV on the occasions when the regular vessels were undergoing refits.

The 12,000bhp, 135 tonne bollard pull vessel is powered by two MAK 8M35 diesels driving twin controllable pitch propellers and as with the other ex Klyne tug has received the Resolve prefix to its name to become Resolve Earl.

The team of volunteers at the Daniel Adamson Preservation Society have received a boost with awarding of a £3.8m Heritage Lottery Fund grant towards restoration of the historic steam tug-tender Daniel Adamson.

Built in 1903 Daniel Adamson initially towed barges and carried people and livestock between docks at Ellesmere Port and Liverpool. In 1936 it commenced a new career transporting guests which included Dwight D Eisenhower around the canal. Decommissioned in 1985, it was later saved from the scrapyard with the aim of returning it to service to carry passengers on the Mersey, Weaver and Manchester Ship Canal.

The debate about emergency towing provision off the Scottish coast has again reignited following grounding of a UK flagged general cargo ship off the West Highlands.

Lysblink Seaways, loaded with paper was on passage from Belfast to Norway when it grounded on rocks in the western entrance to the Sound of Mull: no injuries among the nine crew were reported. Vessels from Briggs Marine Contractors responded and became involved in salvaging the vessel which later “self-floated” itself before being towed to a nearby anchorage. At the time of writing the ship had been towed to an anchorage by Brigg’s tug Kingdom of Fife.

The owner skipper of a small tug has received an eight month custodial sentence after pleading guilty to offences under the Merchant Shipping Act which resulted in the loss of a crewmember attempting to reattach a tow line in a violent storm.

Endurance was towing a motor cruiser from the Medway to Brighton when the tow parted in heavy weather. Whilst attempting to reconnect the towline the crewman fell overboard and despite an extensive search he was not found, his body was recovered several weeks later. Passing sentence the judge said: “This was a catalogue of disasters … it was a disaster waiting to happen after a series of bad decisions.”

By Peter Barker