I’m part of a new marine pilot group on a construction project which is using a LOT of tug and barge combinations to move construction materials and infrastructure.
While I have picked up a lot since I’ve been on the project, I am always looking to increase my knowledge base in this area as its not really part of my skill set, coming from “conventional” marine pilotage and blue water stuff before that (tankers and bulkers mostly)
Can anyone here suggest some good publications or web based resources we can use to help train our new pilots as well as shed some light on the dark arts of barge handling for our longer serving pilots.
Also a good book available from the Nautical Institute is Tug Use Offshore in Bays and Rivers, The Towmasters Manual written by George and Grant Livingstone. They were both tug masters and George is now a SF Bar Pilot and Grant is a Long Beach Pilot.
[QUOTE=Barnaby Black;101075]I’m part of a new marine pilot group on a construction project which is using a LOT of tug and barge combinations to move construction materials and infrastructure.
While I have picked up a lot since I’ve been on the project, I am always looking to increase my knowledge base in this area as its not really part of my skill set, coming from “conventional” marine pilotage and blue water stuff before that (tankers and bulkers mostly)
Can anyone here suggest some good publications or web based resources we can use to help train our new pilots as well as shed some light on the dark arts of barge handling for our longer serving pilots.
Any help would be appreciated.[/QUOTE]
A good place to start is the website of The Waterways Journal, the premier trade weekly of the towing and barge industry that just celebrated 125 years of continuous publications. http://www.waterwaysjournal.net/
–David Murray, Senior Writer, The Waterways Journal.
Contact International Tug & OSV Magazine < www.tugandosv.com > that publishes a bi-monthly magazine for the global offshore and ocean/harbor tug fleet. Email their US/Central American Representative Email at < tugandosv@aol.com >.
[QUOTE=dredgeboater;101109]Also a good book available from the Nautical Institute is Tug Use Offshore in Bays and Rivers, The Towmasters Manual written by George and Grant Livingstone. They were both tug masters and George is now a SF Bar Pilot and Grant is a Long Beach Pilot.[/QUOTE]
What is the point of Nautical Institute publishing a ridiculously expensive book like this, its $188 on amazon! Who is going to pay that much to read it? What public library would buy it?
If the point of the book is to convey knowledge useful to mariners, it has to be priced at a level where the average underpaid tugboat mariner can afford to buy it.
Oh I can see it coming, this book may become the basis for a future Nautical Institute “Towing Certificate” scheme that we will all be expected to attend for five days at $3,000 — and they’ll just “give” us the book while we’re at the course. I can’t wait until some gypo towing company asks me if I’ve got my TC certification from the NI.
Don’t give them any ideas! Actually the book is £40 ($60) on their website even if you paid a ridiculously high amount like $30 for shipping, it would still be only around $90 total. Half of the Amazon price. Members get a 30% discount. Amazon seems to be the worst place to get any of their pubs. mdnautical.com has it for $107. Still much more expensive than Primer of Towing or Shiphandling With Tugs but more reasonable than $188.