Redwise completes notable tug delivery

“Astute seamanship or fools endeavour” was the initial reaction of Redwise personnel when they received an enquiry from fellow Dutch company Damen Trading, who in November 2021 was looking to deliver the 19m Damen Stantug 1907 Bruiser from Greenock on the west coast of Scotland to Port of Sauðárkrókur on the north coast of Iceland.

Redwise has delivered ships for third party customers since 1906, dealing with all shapes and sizes, often involving new vessels built on the other side of the world to where their owners will operate them but perhaps not having the resources to undertake the delivery themselves.

In their own words, Redwise “scratched their heads before putting them together” to plan delivery of Bruiser to its new home. Noting that the WNA (Winter North Atlantic) loadline mark was there for a reason was one consideration when thinking about crossing the North Atlantic in the autumn/winter period in a 19m long vessel with a very limited freeboard, but Redwise said: “Looking at it practically with a keen eye for seamanship and knowing that the right Redwise master and crew were available we made the decision to go for it professionally”.

A key aspect was breaking the voyage into smaller sectors providing the ability to seek shelter, and the new owner was keen to avoid commercial pressures.

“This is quite unlike what we see too often nowadays when schedules seem to be more important than acceptance that the master should have the absolute discretion and is best positioned to judge the prevailing conditions,” says Redwise.

Following on-site inspection with the new owners and recognising that it would fit the risk management and mitigation tools ultimately boiling down to common sense, registry, class and owner’s insurers’ agreement on the voyage.

Patience was required for preparations at Greenock before setting out, after which Scottish lochs were passed to stay sheltered with stays at Stornoway (two days), Runavik – Faroe Islands (four days) and Eskifjörður on Iceland’s east coast (two days).

The final log entries for Bruiser’s uneventful passage to its new owners included seven days at sea covering 1,076nm and eight days sheltering for weather.