Wet tows – Management of Risk by Design and

Planning

Capt. P J Donaldson
Senior Principal Surveyor
Noble Denton Europe Ltd
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Categories of Wet Tows

• Offshore barges • Good, effective guidelines

• Well established procedure

• Ships in distress or going • Vessel’s rarely in new condition and

for demolition usually require a work to make them
seaworthy

• FPSO’s, large tankers or • Current practice is a combination of

bulk carriers good practice from the above two
categories.
• Risk is unique
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Inclement Weather
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• Tanker being converted to an FSO in the shipyard

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Factors for Design & Planning

• Size and Bollard Pull of tugs

• Towing arrangement
• Emergency Anchor
• Riding crew
• Bunkering arrangements
• Weather
• Unique requirements
• Warranty Surveyor
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Size and Bollard Pull of Tugs

• The warranty surveyor will require the tugs to have sufficient power
to maintain the tow at zero forward speed using the following
criteria.

20 ms-1 wind
5m wave
0.5 ms-1

• Use of greater tug power will provide higher towing speeds which
can assist with weather avoidance and reduction of exposure to risk

• Bollard Pull is derived by calculation or through the carrying out of

model tests.
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Typical anchor-handling tug
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Ocean Going Salvage Tug

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Towing Arrangements

•Careful and early approach to design of tow connections and

fairleads.

•Design for the bollard pull of the vessel

•Ensure Panama type fairleads are well spaced and suitably sized
(OCIMF Guidelines provide a useful code)

•Smit Type brackets are still standard but under deck

strengthening is intrinsic to the strength of the connection.
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Emergency anchor

Current practice is for barges to fit an emergency anchor.

Some consider this practice should be extended to large FPSO’s

However,
• Large vessel size requires large anchor
• Chain stowage to be provided
• Deployment system to be provided (unless FPSO converted
probably not fitted with hawse pipe or chain locker)
• For much of voyage anchor cannot be used because of water depth
• Access to deploy in heavy weather difficult
• Anchor could probably only be used once

On balance we consider an additional tug would reduce risk,

provide a more flexible response and be more reliable than an
emergency anchor
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Riding Crew
Manned (advantages)
• Easier to re-connect tow
• Heli-deck may be commissioned
(pilot/emergency access
possible)
Unmanned (advantages)
• Pumps can be kept on
permanent stand-by No risk to personnel
• Fire watch maintained • SOLAS requirements do not apply
• Watertight integrity monitored • Less risk of fire or man made
• Towing chains maintained mishap occurring onboard
Manned (disadvantages)
• Fire and lifesaving equipment
must be commissioned
• Difficult to control numbers
• Evacuation of larger numbers in
an emergency
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Bunkering Arrangements

•Sufficient consumables including fuel should be carried to

perform each leg of the voyage with a five day reserve.

•The tow should be controlled by tugs with adequate power whilst

the main tug is bunkering.

• Most bunkering ports are in restricted areas

•Possibility of using the FPSO as a fuel reserve

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Weather

•Forecasting and if appropriate, routeing services from a

recognised forecasting agency should be engaged.

•At times of critical decision making more than one forecast

may be needed

•Season of departure; typhoons, monsoons, gales

•Capacity of the equipment to withstand the transportation

forces along the route should be assessed.
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• Climatic Effects by month

Particular considerations for large FPSO’s

• Pumping • Depth too high for temporary pumping

capability system
• Time to activate system makes quick
response difficult

• Access to vessel
• High sides – pilot ladder not practicable
• Fixed access stairway required
• Access in greater than BF4-5 and swell
difficult and dangerous
• Helipad may not be commissioned or
FPSO out of helicopter range
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Other considerations during tow

• Piracy in restricted channels. What could pirates do? Set

accommodation alight, release towline.
• Ports of refuge or areas of shelter
• Route; shortest distance may not be best (consider current, weather
etc.)
• Daily voyage reporting (with positive reporting system)
• Seafastenings and securing onboard
• Canal and river passages; squat and bank interaction
• Under keel clearance. NDE recommend 1m minimum (after allowing
for squat, sag, protrusions, environmental conditions etc.)
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Role of the Warranty Surveyor

•Protects the interest of the Underwriter

•Reviews all aspects of the wet tow

•Is able to bring experienced assistance to the marine

venture.

•If brought in early at the design stage can make an

effective contribution to the success of the voyage.