Emergency Towing Vessel Needs Assessment

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.