Letters / Why were the tugs accepted?
I am pleased that there seems to be some movement in the saga of the new tugs, but I am puzzled by some aspects of the investigation as reported recently (Unpopular tugs should be back this summer, SN, 9 May 13).
Manoevring in all vessels at night, especially tugs and offshore vessels, is normally carried out in low level lighting, in order to preserve the integrity of the night vision of operators on the bridge, however perhaps what was meant was that the buttons themselves were not illuminated too well.
More important was the statement about the “underlying problem” with the steering. Conversations with some of the engineers on the delivery voyage would seem to indicate that the vessels were “trying to go in circles from day one”. If this was indeed the case, why were the vessels accepted from the yard in the first place?
Lastly I believe that the main engines are MAN 9L27/38s, which are marketed by MAN as being of low consumption and low maintenance, so why get rid of them if and when they are fixed? There were seven other tugs being built with the same engines at around the same time as Bonxie and Solan, did they all have the same problems?
Bill Hall
Torre del Mar
Spain
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