Safe and efficient shiphandling in Rotterdam

Each month MJ reports on developments in the tug world but it is an industry that while regularly reporting on new arrivals to its fleets is sometimes shy in telling the story of day-to-day activities. A day on board one of Rotterdam’s latest and most innovative shiphandling tugs however revealed a sector of the industry whose importance should never be taken for granted.

Kotug Smit Towage is the largest towage service provider in Rotterdam with 15 various tugs at its disposal and along with a number of other companies, provides ship-assistance services at Europe’s largest port that sees around 30,000 sea-going ship arrivals annually. In addition to Rotterdam, Kotug Smit operates a fleet of 70 tugs in 11 other European ports in The Netherlands, Belgium, UK and Germany

So it was on a cold but bright spring morning recently that your correspondent joined Captain Jan Geervliet, Chief Engineer Frank Berrevoets and A/B Arash Cheraghi on the Innovation at the Scheurhaven to experience a typical day in the life of a modern shiphandling tug.

Regular MJ readers will be familiar with the Innovation, reported on in detail during a visit to Southampton as part of its ‘European tour’ where Damen showcased its’s latest product designated the RSD 2513 ‘always bow first’ Reversed Stern Drive tug (see MJ July 2018), an impressive stern drive tug configured for towing over the bow.

PROFESSIONALISM AND SKILL
The mark of any professional is where, whatever their skill, they will make it look easy. The day was to demonstrate both professionalism and skill and noticeably, an operation embracing the whole port community that despite the large number of vessels involved displayed a degree of seemingly natural coordination with minimum of fuss and importantly a bare minimum of communication between all involved.

This impression was borne in mind, on a calm benign day, when reminded that just 24 hours earlier the port’s tug fleet was stretched to the limit in one of its busiest days during severe gale force wind conditions where, otherwise routine container ship movements demanded four tugs to assist in berthing and sailing.

After coffee and introductions Captain Geervliet contacted Kotug Smit’s Coordination Centre (dispatch) declaring Innovation available and asking after its first job of the day.

With inbound container ships able to report their ETA at the pilot station perhaps several weeks in advance when completing their loading rotation in the Far East it would be natural to assume those involved at its destination could plan their operations well in advance. No so, many variables in the chain can disrupt schedules and best-laid plans – right up to literally the last minute.

The weather probably holds most surprises but as we were to experience, last minute delays in turning ships around make coordinating such activities an extremely dynamic process where flexibility is key. We were warned that while we would get an initial tasking they could not predict what would follow, the inference being they couldn’t say when the day would finish!

Our first job was to ‘sail’ the container ship Seaspan Jakarta from ECT’s Euromax Container Terminal in the Yangtzekanaal for its next port, Hamburg. At 4,250teu and 260m LOA it may not be among the largest container ships using Rotterdam but still required two tugs to assist it from the berth and turn through 180’ before sailing under its own power.

POWERFUL PAIRING
We were paired up with the Damen ASD 3213 tug Smit Panther which, with around 95tbp compared to Innovation’s 70tbp was designated stern tug, ourselves operating as bow tug. Captain Geervliet explained that as the stern tug has to be capable of operating in indirect mode and able to steer and stop the vessel in an emergency, the most powerful of the two is usually stationed aft. Innovation (currently on charter to Kotug Smit from Damen) with its forward twin-fin skeg does also has an active escort capability.

Once stationed close to Seaspan Jakarta the pilot advised there would be a delay while cargo-handling was completed, “ten boxes to go”, a reminder of the complications coordinating such operations. The ship can be charged ‘waiting time’ beyond a certain limit, something it avoided by a few minutes before the pilot communicated her instructions to connect to the ship’s bow and maintain a slack line until unmoored.

Once clear of the berth the process of swinging the vessel through 180’ followed with a surprising minimum of communication, all involved understanding the process intuitively and without prompting.

When asked how pilots communicated power requirements, Captain Geervliet explained they can vary, some using percentages others favouring pull in tonnes. On this occasion the pilot stated maximum load 40t, the maximum SWL of the ship’s bollards, important in avoiding damaging such fittings. The tug master has reference to a graph to translate this into engine revolutions.

Communications are generally in Dutch illustrating the trust between pilot and ship’s master who will likely not speak the local language. He or she would doubtless be confused by some pilots using the local slang of ‘quarter’, ‘nickel’ and ‘dime’ as their reference to power. Further evidence of the close understanding between those trusted with seeing the ship safely to sea. Once the ship had sufficient steerage way, both tugs were released, their role complete.

A word about towing arrangements; a DMC double-drum winch is installed forward, just one drum was in operation although both fully equipped. A heaving line is passed from the ship to the tug, picked up by the A/B with a boathook. This is connected to a messenger line which is hauled through the ship’s fairlead using its windlass and the first element, a 12m long pennant which is connected to the ship’s bollard. Next is a 50m stretcher element connected to the main tow line.

All elements are man-made fibre, the scope of the pennant and stretcher of sufficient length on the day. During bad weather or when full power is required the tug has the option of letting out more of the actual tow line.

A call to dispatch informed us that the container ship Conti Annapurna was due to sail from the ECT terminal in Europahaven in about an hour bound for Port Said. Somewhat larger than our last customer, at 334m LOA and 7,747teu there was another delay while a pilot qualified for a ship of its draught was allocated so along with Smit Panther we were instructed to ‘wait for orders’ at a nearby berth.

Once rafted alongside Smit Panther we adjourned to the mess for more coffee and the opportunity to get to know Innovation’s master a little better. Captain Geervliet has been with Kotug Smit, and previously with Smit Internationale for 40 years and doubtless would have many tales to tell. He told of his involvement in the salvage of the tanker Sea Empress which grounded in the entrance to Milford Haven in 1996. While the incident led to significant pollution, he was clearly proud of the work Smit achieved (under the glare of a somewhat hostile media) in avoiding a worse outcome and saving the ship and a lot of its remaining cargo.

Asking about their rota system revealed a somewhat complicated pattern. They operate a seven day on, seven day off rota, some of the crews sleeping on board, others in accommodation ashore. Some tugs have a shift with working and rest hours (sleeping on board) and with 24/7 schedules crew changes take place after 12 hours, the off duty crew sleeping ashore.

399M TASKING
Less than an hour later we were off again for a tasking that was to illustrate the potential dangers that are ever-present with such evolutions carried out daily in ports such as Rotterdam. We were to assist the container ship Cosco Shipping Taurus which was inbound for the Euromax Terminal.

At 399m LOA and 20,119teu capacity the 2018-built vessel is one of the largest container ships in the world and typical of the size of ship seen regularly in Rotterdam. Still paired with Smit Panther we made our way slowly to the port entrance at Maasmond where the heavily-laden ship was making its approach.

As previously we were designated bow tug but the routine on this occasion was to be somewhat different to our sailing of the Seaspan Jakarta. At this stage in its approach Cosco Shipping Taurus even at dead slow ahead was still making six to seven knots to maintain steerage way and along with Smit Panther we were required to make the towing connection under these conditions.

Innovation has an ASD-configuration and a pronounced shear at each end makes it a very capable vessel running in either direction. This didn’t detract however from the reality that the tug has to keep pace with the ship and approach it (while running astern) to within a few metres of the bulbous bow, countering the effects of interaction, to establish a connection.

We positioned to the port side of Cosco Shipping Taurus’s bow and at the closest point the overhanging shear of the vessel dominated the view from both main wheelhouse and overhead angled windows, we were very much in its shadow and at the most vulnerable point. Any mechanical failure at this time would not be good news but again Captain Geervliet, with finger-tip precision movement of the thruster controls was very much in command, the Chief Engineer controlling the winch.

Cosco Taurus’s forward draught was around 14m and some 40 hours later when it sailed having discharged part of its cargo, the forward draught was observed to be around 9m revealing a larger expanse of the bulbous bow, a reminder of the saying that the most dangerous part of an iceberg is beneath the water.

Once connected, Innovation ‘retreated’ to a safer distance and took up position immediately ahead of the ship with a slack line in a position to influence its heading if required. The remainder of the passage was relatively straight forward involving a turn of 180’ past the Gate LNG Terminal at Nijlhaven into the Yangtzekanaal for a starboard side alongside berthing at Euromax.

Once parallel with the berth the mode of assistance changed and after disconnecting we re-positioned at one of the designated ‘tug’ locations on the ship’s port side to push it onto the berth. For the next 30 minutes or so the wheelhouse windows were filled with the slab side of the ship, the pilot passing on power instructions to ease it alongside while the attending KRVE boatmen connecting the shorelines.

There was a delay while the ship was repositioned to avoid the gangway fouling one of the shore bollards but eventually we were released, another job carried out with minimum of fuss and maximum degree of efficiency ensuring completion of the ship’s passage and allowing the serious work of cargo-handling to begin.

By now there was a lull in activity and Kotug Smit’s co-ordination centre advised us that we were free to return to our berth at the Scheurhaven. Once secured alongside the pontoon in the sheltered harbour and the shore electrical supply connected it was ‘finished with engines’ and time to bid farewell.

In summary, having watched these operations at Rotterdam hundreds of times over a decade, seeing the routine from the other end was somewhat different to what I expected. Knowing how busy the port is with all types and sizes of vessels, the sense of calm and mutual understanding between everyone involved both ashore and afloat was noticeable.

The environment on Innovation enhanced this experience, only when operating at its maximum power demand on the day, around 45 per cent, was there any indication of noise or vibration and then a bare minimum that would easily go unnoticed. Three radio channels were monitored, the VTS channel (sectors involved were Rozenburg, Maasmond and Europoort), working channel between pilot and tug and Kotug Smit’s coordination centre but the actual ‘chatter’ is kept to a minimum and almost aviation-like in the clipped procedures.

As stated, it is easy to underestimate the skill of professionals at work and something that should be remembered when considering the shiphandling tug sector’s contribution to both safety and efficiency in what can be a very dynamic and unforgiving environment.

The author would like to thank Captain Jan Geervliet, Chief Engineer Frank Berrevoets and A/B Arash Cheraghi for their patience answering endless questions and their hospitality, also Annet van Brussel from Kotug Smit for arranging the opportunity.