Emergency Towing Vessel Needs Assessment

• Emergency towing vessel needs for seven different types of large, high windage ships
• Vessel and crew capabilities required to be able to handle a worst-case emergency towing scenario
• Difficult ocean conditions on the Pacific coast that require powerful ETVs

This study assesses emergency towing vessel needs for different types of large, high windage ships. Clear Seas commissioned Vard Marine Inc. to examine the capabilities needed by a single ETV to be able to render assistance to a disabled ship drifting onto Canada’s Pacific coast. The analysis, part of Clear Seas’ Marine Transportation Corridors project, is intended to inform decision makers, response professionals and the public regarding the extensive capabilities that are required to be able to respond to emergency towing scenarios.

The report describes desirable characteristics for ETVs capable of open ocean operations, concluding large and powerful ETVs are needed to cope with the difficult conditions off the Pacific coast. It goes beyond propulsion power and bollard pull needs to highlight other characteristics such as ship attachment points, vessel reach and endurance, and human factors.

This report describes desirable characteristics for ETVs, emphasizing the need to have relatively large and powerful vessels equipped with trained crew and sufficient equipment to cope with Pacific coast conditions. The conclusions are relevant elsewhere, as similar types of ships encounter comparable wind and wave conditions in Canada’s Atlantic region. Learn more about ETVs and how their use differs around the world.