A CASE STUDY IN IMPROVING TUG ESCORT PROCEDURES WITH THE AID OF SIMULATION

Gregory Brooks (Towing Solutions Inc., USA) Garland Hardy (LANTEC Marine Inc., Canada) ABSTRACT: In our prevailing maritime environment, it is imprudent to assume that conventional methods of tug escort and assist, shiphandling, piloting and generalised practices that have worked for years remain the safest and most efficient way to handle the worlds evolving fleet of ships and tugs. This paper reports on the methodologies used to scientifically revise and update the regulations controlling the escort system serving Second Narrows in the Port of Vancouver. This study was conducted in multiple phases utilising an intricate blend of simulation findings that were validated by live ship/tug performance trials. This approach effectively controlled cost and simultaneously supported the exploration of the effects of various escort/transit procedures such as running with a current, the effects of pilot/tug response delays on the resultant off track error, and the capabilities of various types of assisting tugs. Once the optimal new procedures were identified, all interested parties were invited to participate in the formalisation of the final escort regulations. Our methodology ensured that the full range of equipment, environmental and human factors were incorporated into the creation of a comprehensive risk assessment matrix and appropriate emergency preparedness protocols. Our report includes insights gained from the perspectives of various users of the waterway, suppliers of waterway services and regulators. It outlines the new escorting methodologies, discoveries on the effectiveness of various tug hulls, and the radical new way employed to evaluate the dangers presented to a port by various types of ships. This unique approach serves as an excellent case study into how port authorities, pilotage associations and towing companies can benefit from full fledged, high fidelity simulator mission rehearsal trials and training to safely and efficiently adapt to the increasing global demand to move larger displacement vessels in greater numbers through our ports and waterways.

1. INTRODUCTION In 2006, the British Columbia Coast Pilots (BCCP) and the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (VFPA) began to review and scrutinise their procedures for commercial traffic transiting the Second Narrows, situated in the eastern end of the Port of Vancouver.

Terminals of Vancouver. Any closure of these bridges due to damage from a marine incident would severely affect the efficiency and profitability of Canadas largest port, and would sever the primary highway connection between the citys north and south shores.

Fig. 1: Second Narrows Highway Bridge Spanning this waterway are two bridges: one a major highway bridge with a horizontal clearance of 335 metres handling thousands of commuters each day, and the second, a railroad lift bridge with a horizontal clearance of 137 metres that literally handles all of the bulk commodities to and from the North Shore

Fig. 2: Second Narrows Railway Bridge. A further complication for the mariner is the 120m wide deep draft channel approaching the bridges and the current that at stages runs across the channel at an approximate angle of 10.

operating within the port for the past fifteen years, they were uncertain as to the safe handling limits of deeper draught ships with these tugs. Furthermore, the pilotage membership generally lacked familiarity with the performance of the latest tractor designs or the latest advances in escorting procedures.

2. PHASED ANALYTICAL APPROACH Fig. 3: Chart View of Second Narrows. The BCCP determined that any new escort procedures for Second Narrows, unlike the previous ones, had to be based on tangible safety criteria. Their first step in addressing this issue was to arrange for Towing Solutions Inc. of Spring Hill, FL to present a seminar on tractor and escorting operations for the pilots. The goal was to bring as many of their members as possible up to date on the latest tractor designs, escorting manoeuvres and procedures, and to ensure they had the requisite knowledge needed to assess any new transit protocol in a credible manner. Based on a positive reaction from their members, BCCP agreed to partner with the VFPA to develop a plan to scientifically analyse, in stages, what could potentially be done to improve the safety of the Second Narrows transits and/or improve the efficiency of the vessels transiting this waterway. At the outset, it was clear the study would have to address certain critical elements such as maximum allowable transit speed, tug performance requirements, environmental restrictions, and the ability of the pilots to keep the ship safe in the event of equipment failure. It was further established that the only feasible, cost-effective way to safely make these determinations would be with the assistance of simulation.

Fig. 4: Aerial View of Second Narrows. In discussions with the VFPA, it was noted that the existing procedures for the Second Narrows Marine Regulated Area (MRA) had not been updated since 1986. Providing fuel for this reassessment was the recognition that if they could move deeper ships through the waterway it would add to the commercial viability of the Port. The established MRA standing orders were intended to provide for the orderly and safe flow of traffic through the Second Narrows. Some of the key items that limit traffic flow are that deep sea tankers may only enter through the Second Narrows during daylight hours, at slack water (current less than 2 knots), stemming the current (prior to a low tide or following a high tide), with minimum tide level of 2.13 metres, with clear visibility, and when clear of other traffic. Further, tankers over 40,000 DWT (including both PANAMAX and AFRAMAX class) require a minimum tide of 3.05 metres. Tankers may only exit through the Second Narrows in daylight, at slack water (current less than 2 knots) immediately prior to a high tide or following a low tide. The minimum tide levels of 2.13 metres and 3.05 metres apply, and further draught restrictions limit the cargo capacity of outgoing tankers. When the pilots held internal discussions to determine if, or how they could safely revise the MRA rules, they could not decide how to proceed. They recognised that although Z-drive reverse tractors or Azimuthal Stern Drives (ASDs) had been

3. ESTABLISHING BASIC SAFETY LIMITS Although vessel traffic from several terminal facilities navigates through Second Narrows, it was quite clear that well into the foreseeable future, the largest vessel that could be accommodated at either terminal was an AFRAMAX size tanker with a loaded draught of 15 metres. With this premise, the physical constraints of the channel could be readily established, as well as the upper size limitations of vessels that would have to routinely transit the waterway. 3.1 Fast Time Simulation As a first step in analysing these issues, the VFPA and BC Pilots elected to conduct some fast time simulations. This type of simulation work provided a quick appraisal of the principal manoeuvring issues at a very modest price, and was performed by Glosten Associates of Seattle. For our Vancouver project we used an AFRAMAX sized ship and then varied the ships speed, the current, the recognition/

reaction time delays, power of the tugs, etc. which were quickly analysed and reviewed.

Tidal Streams for the simulation were developed by Hay & Co. using their three-dimensional circulation model H3D. The model extended eastward from a line joining Point Grey and Point Atkinson and included Port Moody and Indian Arm, (which was necessary for correct reproduction of tidal phenomena in the entire Harbour.) The model used a horizontal spatial resolution of 100 metres, and was operated in baroclinic depth-resolving mode. Data from this model was used to drive a high resolution model using a 25-metre grid, which covered the area of direct interest in the Second Narrows region. Simulations were made with and without the Seymour River flow. To minimise interpolation errors in either direction or velocity, model data from the 25-metre grid model was generated at 5-minute intervals. This information was then forwarded to Kongsberg for the development of final simulator runtime files - each of which had in excess of 7,000 tidal stream direction and velocity vectors, both at the surface and at a depth of 10 metres.

Fig. 5: Hard Starboard Rudder Failure. The value of this type of simulation was that it quickly identified for the customer the parameters and approximate limits where the escort might work and where it might not. The fast time simulation results indicated that it was technically feasible for a laden AFRAMAX ship to safely transit Second Narrows with tug escort assist within a 5 to 6 knot speed range. The next step was to start to analyse some of the human factor elements, and specifically to accurately assess what could be considered a reasonable recognition time for a pilot to detect that the ship had experienced some type of equipment failure or other condition that could potentially lead to the vessel leaving the channel. 3.2 Manned Full Mission Simulation For the next stage of the process, two pilots, Captains Al Ranger and Al Murray volunteered to serve as test pilots and four days were invested at the British Columbia Institute of Technologys (BCIT) Marine Campus in North Vancouver using their Kongsberg, DNV Class A Full Mission Simulator. The facility is equipped with a 270 - degree horizontal field of visual simulation, and a complete suite of bridge navigation equipment and instrumentation including dual ARPA RADARs and a fully integrated electronic charting system calibrated for the particulars of the AFRAMAX tanker. To ensure that that the simulation environment replicated the real life conditions of Second Narrows as closely as possible, the bathymetry baseline information was further supplemented with digital worksheets from the latest survey by the Canadian Hydrographic Service. Additionally, baseline visual information was supplemented by satellite imagery and a comprehensive photographic survey to ensure that drying foreshore and non-charted features were accurately modelled.

Fig. 6: Tidal Stream Vector Chart/ Grounding Line. The model was validated against water levels derived from harmonic constants for 6 CHS stations in the harbour: Vancouver; Alberta Pool; Stanovan; Port Moody; Deep Cove; and Buntzen Lake. The validation was on the order of 5% error in reproduction of water level peak values, and 10% error in reproduction of water velocity peak values. A high fidelity hydrodynamic model of the class of Teekay Tanker, representing the largest ships calling on the oil terminal, was used, and runs were conducted with the vessel at loaded draught conditions of 12.5, 13.5 and 15 metres. Based on the findings derived from the fast time simulation, it was decided to conduct all runs at a planned transit speed of 6 knots, where the pilot would be free to alternate between Stop, Slow Ahead, and Half Ahead engine orders as desired to optimise steerage and to manage speed. The pilots had also decided that it would be prudent to maintain their policy of using two pilots for this transit, hence the lead pilot conned the vessel and focused completely on his alignment and approach to

the narrow bridge gap, while the second pilot was assigned to carefully monitor the helmsman and rudder actions. It was decided to explore outcomes using recognition / reaction delays of both 10 seconds and 20 seconds. Tug escort steering forces (vector tugs) were applied to the ship based on the estimated performance capabilities of the available classes of tractor and conventional tugs currently working in the Port of Vancouver.
Seaspan Falcon/ Seaspan Hawk Escort @ Stern (44 tons Bollard Pull) Direct Pull Indirect Speed 0 2 4 6 8 10 180 44 44 44 44 45 44 40 32 27 N/A N/A 90 44 35 28 20 N/A N/A 45 N/A 4 22 36 54 45

able to quickly return the ship to its original heading and then were able to place the ships engine slow ahead and use the tractor to steer the ship out through the bridges and then to a safe anchorage preventing this potential calamity (see plot in Fig. 5 above). The pilots also noted that stemming a one knot current through the bridges, as was their normal practice, did not address complications caused by the tendency of the tidal stream to set slightly southwards as the ship transits out through the bridges. With a starboard rudder failure, the ship would tail up into this current and the save could be easily affected. However, with a port rudder failure, the ship turned more beam to the current and was set over to the port side of the channel where the pilot could not manoeuvre without potentially putting the stern of the ship aground.

Powered Indirect 90 N/A 9 31 44 N/A N/A

Fig. 7: Simulated Vector Tug Force Table. The fast time simulations had also highlighted the importance, in the event of a rudder failure, of applying a counter steering force with tugs as quickly as possible. In a proactive effort to minimise the amount of turning momentum developed during any mechanical failure, it was decided that the T Deployed escorting method would be evaluated. This technique uses two tractors tethered to the transom and deployed to the 90 position to either side of the ship, ready to respond quickly to a rudder failure to either side of the ship.

Fig. 9: Port Rudder Failure Simulation Run.

Fig. 8: T Deployed.

During these simulations, the pilots were also able to note that the previous practise of normally assigning two conventional tugs at the bow of the ship could, at six knots, only be used to reduce the ships speed. However, they also quickly noted that, with the current setting across the channel, this was not a good place to slow the ship. It was found that that by keeping the ships speed between five and six knots, the tractors could easily manoeuvre the ship safely through the bridges; so conventional tugs were eliminated from the escort plan.

4. VALIDATING SIMULATOR FINDINGS WITH LIVE TRIALS

Fig. 9: T Deployed in Simulation Run. The full mission simulations again proved the validity of this escorting method as both pilots were

While the results of the Manned Simulations looked very promising, the fundamental concern of the pilots now shifted to ascertaining the accuracy and validity of the simulation results. If we could prove their accuracy, then the new escorting procedures could be legitimately considered by the pilot association for implementation in Second Narrows. If it could not be validated, it would be inappropriate for the pilots to attempt these manoeuvres.

To address the simulator accuracy issue, a loaded AFRAMAX Tanker, the HELLESPONT TATINA, a 239 metre ship drawing 13.6 metres at a displacement of 96,935 tons, was offered to serve as a test ship for a series of fully-instrumented live trials. During these trials, our instrumentation suite recorded the ships heading, speed and rate of turn. We also recorded the tugs towline forces, the towline angle to the ship, and the time it took the tug to attain its working position.

performance of the escort tugs and the new escort procedures using 10 second and 20 second recognition / reaction delays and three different classes of tractors from the port. The trials with the HELLESPONT TATINA went extremely well with the off track distance of the ship appearing to be similar to the simulation results. During these trials, we were able to identify previously unknown issues with the escort tugs designs that seriously degraded their performance. Luckily, it appears that these design issues, now that they have been identified, can be rectified.

5. INTERACTIVE PILOT AND TUG MASTER SIMULATIONS The Live Trial data and real tug performance characteristics were then incorporated into the simulation model for the final phase of the escort policy development process. In December 2007, fully integrated tug master and pilot simulations were conducted at the Holland College Marine Campus in Summerside, PEI using another Kongsberg Full Mission Bridge Simulator and three purpose designed tug bridge simulators. This round of simulation studies used the same area database and AFRAMAX ship model parameters but with the added reality of fully interactive, highly detailed hydrodynamic tug models. The participants in this phase included the two test pilots, tug masters and operations managers from Smit and Sea Span, and a representative from the Port of Vancouver. This final round of simulation further addressed the human factors component of emergency management, and provided the opportunity to explore alternate methods to the T deployed technique that could be used by the tugs whose design did not lend itself to the powered indirect manoeuvre. The tug masters actually discovered that when using tugs that lacked a proper escort skeg, they could run stern-first just forward of the transom of the tanker, and then very quickly fall off to a 90 pull angle, or when required to push, could simply lean into the side of the ship.

Fig.10: Instrumented Tow Lines. Before the live trials were conducted, two more partners joined the project. Smit Harbour Towing Vancouver, Inc. and Seaspan International Ltd. are tug companies that regularly conduct ship assist and escort work in the Port. Prior to conducting the trials, the tug crews were trained in the manoeuvres that they would have to perform to ensure their safety. Additionally, the tugs that were scheduled to participate in the trials were bollard pull tested in order to compare their actual static bollard pull with their stated bollard pull, and to correlate how this compared with their dynamic bollard pull while working at 6 knots.

Fig. 11: Tugs working during live trial. During these live trials, we were able to conduct twenty-four different runs, again exploring the

Fig. 12: Tugs running astern escort method.

Over the course of four days, more than 40 different runs were conducted using ships of different sizes, with various tug assignment configurations. At the end of this period, a new risk assessment and escort policy matrix had been compiled. This phase also served as the final step in confirming the validity of conclusions drawn and of the techniques developed during the simulation runs on the two Kongsberg simulators. Once information from the live trials was used to fine tune the tug models performance, simulator comparison runs for key manoeuvres when compared to the live trial results for the same runs, were found to correlate within 3 %.

Deployed mode, the pilot could safely continue his transit through the bridges after the rudder failure and could take the ship to a safe anchorage. With the ship dead slow ahead, one tractor was used to oppose the hard over rudder and by modulating the tugs power, the ship could be easily steered. 6.5 Benefits of Higher Bollard Pull Tugs While small tractors can save the ship with a hard over rudder failure from running aground, they did so with a significant off track error, often bringing the ship with 15 metres of the grounding line. It was found that when using the larger tugs that are available in the harbour, the off track error was reduced to negligible amounts that were too small to practically measure.

6. FINDINGS 6.1 Previous Escort Policy was Flawed One of the most important lessons learned during this session was that the established escorting plan for these large ships was flawed. The previous policy depended upon the tractors assigned to the tanker to perform manoeuvres at six knots that they physically could not do. Tractors simply cannot back out to a 90 position to the ship and then apply their full power to the ship. At five knots they might be able to get into this position, but they cannot apply more than 10-15% of their rated bollard pull to the towline as they are using most of their power simply to stay in position. 6.2 Complications When Stemming Current The mandated practise of stemming the one knot current made it extremely difficult to prevent a ship with a hard to port rudder failure from running aground. The tendency of the currents right to left set across the channel regularly pushed the ship precariously close to the southern grounding line. Any application of rudder to counter this set then induced rotation that would swing the stern of the ship into shoal water. 6.3 Limited Value in the Use of Conventional Tugs Employing two conventional tugs to the bow of these large ships does not appreciably change the outcome, as they cannot effectively work at the normal required transit speed. Until the ship is west of the highway bridge, there is no requirement for braking power, and at six knots, the conventional tugs on the bow could not provide any meaningful steering forces. 6.4 Benefits of T Deployed Technique The T Deployed mode worked extremely well in quickly arresting the tanker and returning it to its original course. Further, with the tugs in the the T 7. SUMMARY By working together, using a structured plan, and sophisticated marine simulators, the British Columbia Coast Pilots and the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority have been able to identify new procedures for pilots and tug crews, as well as equipment modifications to significantly improve the safety of their port at a very reasonable cost. After a thorough risk assessment and public review, the new procedures have been implemented with a small group of pilots. Once the remainder of the organization and tug crews are trained in these new procedures, they will then become the de facto protocol for all transits of Second Narrows. It is hoped that by following this simple plan that other ports will follow Vancouvers lead in using simulation to carefully examine their current procedures to ensure that they will work as hoped, and it not, used to find new procedures that will meet their goals.

AUTHORS BIOGRAPHIES Garland Hardy is the President of LANTEC Marine Incorporated. He has been developing and delivering simulation training programmes for advanced navigation, piloting and ship handling training to naval and commercial clients since 1995. He also provides subject matter expertise to Kongsberg Maritime Simulation in the implementation of new simulator functional features. Garland is a graduate of College Militaire Royal in St-Jean, Canada, and holds a degree in business administration, a Canadian Navy Maritime Advanced Navigating Officer Qualification, and a Master Foreign Going Certificate. Captain Gregory Brooks is the President of Towing Solutions Inc. of Spring Hill, FL, USA. He has been involved with marine simulators as a user, designer of training courses, and as an instructor since 1991. He is a graduate of the New York State maritime College and has 41 years of experience in the towing industry. His Company specialises in the design and implementation of advanced tanker escort systems.