Published: August 2024

By Ian Collard

Tugs and Towing Around Britain

The first tugs were built at the beginning of the nineteenth century as a result of the development of enclosed docks and the increase in size and power of sea-going vessels. Tugs were needed to assist ships to their berths and to navigate larger vessels into narrow waterways and tight docking areas. Tugs can tow or push vessels and need to be highly manoeuvrable and powerful.

It is thought that the first tugboat was the Charlotte Dundas, which was powered by a Watt engine and was employed towing barges on the Forth and Clyde Canal in Scotland in 1802. The early tugs were fitted with paddle wheels, which were later replaced by propeller driven vessels. Ian Collard looks at a range of tugs employed around the British Isles assisting a variety of ships in the major ports and a selection of the smaller ones.