Hello and welcome to Classic Tugs! We hope that you enjoy your visit here.

This site is dedicated to all things to do with tug boats and tugging. Whether your interest is in full-size tugs, model tugs, or both, we hope to offer you something of interest.

There's something about tugs that seems to make people fall in love with them. They are perhaps only second to the great ocean liners in the size of their fan base. However, unlike cruise liners that you might only see once every few months (if you're lucky), you can see tugs going about their business every day of the week and with many tugs of 30 years or older still in operation, you can still see some "classic" tugs doing what they do best!

Thames Tug Capsize - Friday 12th August 2011

I've noticed from my site tracker that a lot of people are coming to this site whilst trying to find details of the tug involved in the tragic capsize incident on the River Thames. The tug involved was a 1963 tug called "Chiefton", and not the ex-Cory Towage tug "Chieftain" featured here on the Clyde Tugs page.

I just wanted to clear up any confusion or possible misinformation.

Jason

Tug Tender Calshot Update - 16th April 2011

As mentioned on ClassicTugs.co.uk over a year ago, the historic tug tender Calshot has been granted a new, permanent berth opposite the Town Quay area of Southampton Docks, where it will be restored and become part of a new Aeronautica Museum that will open in 2015.

The vessel was moved to its new berth on Tuesday 5th April 2011.

You can read more about the tug tender Calshot here.

Jason

Classic Tug For Sale: Dido - 57ft ex. M.S.C. - Built 1957

Classic tug ‘DIDO’ 57 foot X 14 foot 6 inches X draft 5 foot 6 inches approx.

Built 1957 for Manchester Ship Canal dredging fleet. Now in need of a caring owner. A project for completion for transformation to house boat or re-engined to become a cruiser.

Shaft cut but still has prop. Original engine removed and some internal work started. Structurally in good condition.

Lying Southampton. Available without mooring. Towage can be arranged.

£17000 (without mooring)

Contact: Kevin Harvey - Tel: 07984330154 (please mention that you saw it on ClassicTugs.co.uk)

I've added a new photo of Svitzer Cecilia from Neil Illing to the Svitzer Marine page.

I've also added new photos of SD Deborah, SD Emily, and SD Tilly from Ian Barbeary to the Serco Denholm and Plymouth Harbour and Devonport pages.

Port Shipping Movements

From looking at the tracking statistics for ClassicTugs.co.uk, I've noticed that quite a few people end up here whilst searching for lists of shipping movements for various ports around the UK, particularly the port of Tyne (since, I mention it in my article, A Day Tugging on the Tyne). So, I thought I'd do those people a favour and list a few of the shipping movements sites here.

I've not included every port here, just the main ones that I tend to use often. I will add more as I come across them though..... read more...

As I've been busy with work lately, progress on my Rowangarth model tug has been slow. So, at Christmas, as a little treat to myself, I decided to buy the 1:36 scale ready-to-run (RTR) Hobby Engine Southampton Tug. In case you're not already aware, Hobby Engine's Southampton is a model of the tug Wyeforce that's operated by Itchen Marine on Southampton Water, hence the name.

In the run-up to Xmas, I'd seen an advert in RC Boat magazines advertising the Southampton tug for a bargain £99! However, when I went to the website to order, I found that they were out of stock. Not surprising really at that price. In the end, I ordered mine for £149 via CML Distribution.

Delivery of the tug was fairly quick and it came about a week before Xmas but, since it came wrapped in brown paper, I decided to leave it wrapped up until Xmas Day as a bit of a present to myself. Imagine my surprise when I unwrapped it and found... read more...

For the last few weeks, I've been on a much anticipated return trip to Japan. As well as doing the usual things like seeing the temples and shrines of Kyoto and the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, I also did a bit of tug spotting. This is a brief photo log of some of the tugs that I saw on my trip.

On my second day in Japan, I travelled from Tokyo down to Yokohama for a few days. I worked in Yokohama for two months in 2005 at the US Army's North Dock base, so I already knew the waterfront area quite well.... read more...

After my trip out on the tugs of the River Tyne earlier this year (read about it here), I was keen to get a trip out on my local waterway, Southampton Water. I've lived by Southampton Water for about 34 years and have seen all manner of ships come and go but had never been out on a tug in the docks. Luckily, the good people at Svitzer Marine were more than happy again to help me out.

I'd been saving this trip up for a while in the hope that I could pick a sunny day that would help me get some good quality photographs. However, as mid-August approached, and with the British weather just as unpredictable as ever, I decided to go for it. I selected Friday 14th August as the day for my trip as I had the day off work anyway and the shipping schedules looked pretty busy.

To my surprise, the weather looked ideal at 7am as I walked down Hythe Pier to get the ferry across into Southampton. The sky was clear and there didn't appear to be much wind at all. As I got to the end of the pier, I was even treated to the sight of Adsteam Surrey and Svitzer Sarah bringing a vehicle carrier into the docks... read more...

Type: Twin Azimuth Stern Drive (ASD)
IMO Number: 9127356
Bollard Pull Ahead: 61t
Delivered: 1996
Status: Active on Southampton Water since 1996.
read more...

Type: Twin Azimuth Stern Drive (ASD)
IMO Number: 8011835
Bollard Pull Ahead: 42t
Delivered: 1981
Status: Now converted to survey vessel for EMU Ltd.
read more...

It's been a couple of months since the last progress report on my Rowangarth radio controlled model tug build so I figured that an update was long overdue. To be honest, I seem to have found that I get so caught up in the actual build itself that taking photos and writing reports is the last thing on my mind so I apologise if the photos aren't as "step-by-step" as you might have liked. Anyway, on with the report...

In my previous project report, I mentioned that the next critical task that I had to perform was the installation of the running gear. More specifically, I need to fit the kort nozzles, propeller shafts, and motor mounts. This was a critical task as those three items needed to be lined up perfectly so some thought needed to go into the order in which they'd be installed.

Finding the correct positions for the kort nozzles was fairly easy as they been marked by small indentations in the hull during the moulding process. However, a double-check and exact measurement was still required to ensure that they were... read more...