Escort service for high tonnage ships
Ship escort and pollution response services have an important social contribution. However it is also associated with high costs which the community is often, misguidedly, unwilling to meet.
With its 5000 HP Voith-Schneider vessels, Gesmar Group has sought to construct harbour towage tugs (with the compact size requisite) that are also capable of providing an escort service for high tonnage ships.
Our escort tugs are among the very few vessels in the world certified as “escort”, after actual trials carried out using a motor tanker.
Use of escort tug services in the Mediterranean has been hampered because the undoubted safety advantages are more than offset by the high costs involved in dedicating a tug exclusively for this purpose.
Escort tugs built by other companies in this sector are in fact of a considerable size (over 40 metres), and are unable to perform other services.
Gesmar Group is of the opinion that the escort tug should continue into the port along with the ship, where it can then also carry out harbour towage, taking advantage of the line already attached to the ship.
However this is only possible if the tugboat is of a sufficiently compact size. Doubling up the functions of the tugboat in this way makes the cost of the service absolutely competitive, while greatly enhancing safety.
