What is the purpose of a tug boat?

Question

Does not seem as though they are 'tugging' anything, so what is their purpose?

Answer 1

A Tugboat has many applications in the maritime world. Some companies use them strictly for transporting cargo (liquid, drybulk, or container) via barge, on inland, coastal, and international voyages. These companies usually have their own fleet of barges.
Other companies are contract towing companies that tow other peoples equipment, basically whatever needs to be moved. This includes ship docking and assist. Contract towing companies usually have two fleets, Offshore, and Harbor. The harbor fleet generally doesn't do barge work,as the tugs are either designed specifically for ship work (SDM and Tractor), or they want boats available on demand. Boats of the Offshore fleet are usually contracted out and making voyages with barges, doing ship work only when waiting on cargo. The Moving of the Intrepid is a good example. McAllister Towing of New York used Two Offshore vessels and three Harbor tugs. Two of the harbor tugs were Tractors, specifically designed for getting in tight spots such as under the flight deck of an Aircraft Carrier. The Lead Tug, which had the ship on a tow wire, was the Christine McAllister, a 10,000HP offshore tug, usually on contract with an oil transportation company. If you see a tug running "light" (without tow) through a harbor, they are usually on their way to a job, be it ship docking, or picking up a tow, for a voyage or harbor shift. As for a tug "tugging", there are three modes a tug may use to move a barge. Towing astern on a Hawser or Tow Wire, Alongside, or Pushing ahead. Alongside and pushing is generally done in protected waters (unless Tug/Barge unit is ridgidly connected or articulated) where sea state would not affect tow configuration(breaking lines), to allow greater control in narrow channels, and when docking. Towing astern is used offshore, or in waters where sea state would make it unsafe to push ahead or alongside. Barges are also towed inland for better visibility and control when the barge is small, in a light condition, or has shallow draft. The tow mode is dependent on barge handling charecteristics, traffic density, and weather conditions.

Answer 2

Used Tug Boats

Answer 3

To maneuver large oceangoing ships in narrow waterways and to get them docked. Big ships need a huge amount of room to make turns, but a tugboat can pull a big ship about in a small harbor. Tugs also serve to move barges (boats without motors) around, too.

Answer 4

A small but powerful vessel designed to assist large ships in maneuvering, as to a pier. Such craft usually operate in only one port, but the Navy also maintains a few very large seagoing tugs, called fleet tugs, which are sent out in the event of a distant emergency, as in the case of a major vessel which has lost power.

Answer 5

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
What is the purpose of a tug boat?
Does not seem as though they are 'tugging' anything, so what is their purpose?

Answer 6

Yes tug boats tug larger ships into dock ,but they also push them.If you've ever seen one they have large rubber tires all around the ship so they do not damage one another.

Answer 7

To pull larger boats when they can not safely maneuver in and out of harbor.


A synonym for pull is tug...so yeah, they are tugging things.

Answer 8

They tug boats.

Your observation is immature; wait around long enough you'll see them moving barges and other large boats around the harbor or marina.

Answer 9

The previous answers generally satisfy your question. Tugboats don't make any money when they're not pulling anything. They used tugboats to pull the USS Intrepid in for maintenance in New York recently.

Answer 10

To pull ships into the bay which are too large to maneuver in by themselves.