TOWLINES

The tugs will be 45m in length with a beam of 13m and fitted with main engines of 8000bhp for a 100 tonne bollard pull.

Organiser of the International Tug & Salvage Convention ITS 2004 in Miami Mr Allan Brunton-Reed has been presented with a model tug by delegates and members of the ITS Club inrecognition of his stewardship of ITS for 18 conferences. A collection made to purchase the model, of the steam tug North Quay , was made in secret and the response was sufficient to add some crystal glasses and a decanter.

The cost and red tape involved in getting the model to Miami proved unacceptable and in the final event the crystal was presented by Alastair Mack of AMT andRobert Allan of RAL Ltd at the Gala Dinner and a picture of the model projected on a screen.

On Saturday the 15 May the Thames lighterage tug Merit responded urgently to a call to assist the sailing ship Lord Nelson that had collided with Tower Bridge.

Merit , from the fleet of Cory Environmental , was underway in the area with refuse barges at the time. With an RNLI lifeboat, Police, Fire, Harbour Authority Launches, and the RN Reserve vessel Londinium 1 in attendance, the tug towed the ship off the buttress of the bridge.

The Lord Nelson suffered damage to its port side but none of the 52 people onboard required medical assistance.

Chief Executive Officer of Adsteam Europe , Mr Andrew Dalrymple has recently retired but will continue as Chairman of Adsteam UK and will also continued to represent United Salvage on the executive of the International Salvage Union .His position as Chief Executive Officer of Adsteam Europe has been filled by, new appointee, Mr Stephen Eastwood. Mr Eastwood’s background is in the chemical industry with ICI plc and was most recently Managing Director of Rugby Cement .