How Tiny Tugboats Control Giant Ships

How can a small tugboat control a huge ship? See how tugs push, pull, turn and berth giant ships, and discover what ASD, tractor, Rotortug and anchor-handling tugs do. Watch next: How Ships Float and What Keeps Them Upright    • How Ships Float and What Keeps Them Upright   Subscribe for ship engineering, navigation and maritime stories. 00:00 Small vessel, enormous mass 01:45 Why the ship responds slowly 03:44 How strong is a tug? 05:32 Different tugs, different jobs 09:21 Why position matters 11:02 Pushing, pulling and escorting 12:53 When the ship pulls back 14:33 Bringing the ship alongside Technical evidence and further reading Tug layouts and bollard pull — Wärtsilä: https://www.wartsila.com/encyclopedia... ASD tug designs — Damen: https://www.damen.com/vessels/tugs/as... Three-thruster design — Rotortug: https://rotortug.com/ Offshore anchor handling and supply — Siem Pearl: https://www.wartsila.com/marine/custo... Indirect escort — Bureau Veritas NR467, Part E, section 2.6: https://erules.veristar.com/dy/data/b... Girting — MAIB Biter investigation: https://www.gov.uk/maib-reports/girti... Diagrams explain mechanisms; they are not accident reconstructions or measured vessel performance. Manufacturer specifications apply to named designs. Corrections welcome: include a timestamp and supporting source. Footage and production credits Source audio omitted. Photos reframed/animated. Credits below apply to the selected images; no endorsement implied. US Navy operational footage: Emily Casavant (DVIDS 862063), Taylor Curry (DVIDS 814913); public domain. Selected original footage and machinery photos: channel production collection. Pexels: willy one (36839329,35888033,35888036); Sururi Ballidag Director (32780341); Dapur Melodi (3149924); Fabio Reis de Abreu (13375650); Toan BDS (30262141); 1Fred Films (19073572,19073598); supplied clips 30262137,19694217. https://www.pexels.com/license/ KOTUG images: © KOTUG. Editorial use. https://www.kotug.com/download-center/ CC0/public-domain equipment images: Alf van Beem and Wikimedia Commons contributors. Tugboat-ship-Duluth-20060528.jpg — Amy Mingo from Minnetonka, MN, USA; CC BY 2.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Tugboat and a Ship - Panama Canal.jpg — mario pleitez; CC BY 2.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... 2025-05-24 01 Tugboat, CHARLES H. CATES IV - MMSI 316005724.jpg — Gordon Leggett; CC BY 4.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Azimuth thruster control unit (01).JPG — S.J. de Waard; CC BY 2.5 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... AHT deckA148.JPG — Ciacho5; CC BY-SA 3.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index... AHTS 462.jpg — Ciacho5; CC BY-SA 3.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index... SharkandPins12.JPG — Ciacho5; CC BY-SA 3.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index... AHTS 408A.jpg — Ciacho5; CC BY-SA 3.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index... MERCURIUS Bollard Pull test , video http---youtu.be-53b0m2Yik0U (14418782559).jpg — kees torn; CC BY-SA 2.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index... Bollard pull Multratug 3 ahead.JPG — BoH; CC BY-SA 3.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index... 2 damen asd tug 3212 512501 baladha.jpg — Joost Dankelman; Copyrighted free use https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index... Schottel Propeller zum Export nach China.jpg — Gerd Fahrenhorst; CC BY 3.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index... VSPreal.jpg — Voith AG, Heidenheim, Germany; Attribution https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index... Licence texts: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Reframed/animated versions of the CC BY-SA photos retain the stated CC BY-SA licence. Other material retains its own licence.