AWARDS 2025 | Best Line Boat – Saam Lucille – Macduff Ship Design
These two new compact line-handling vessels that have entered service at the Port of Vancouver are exceptionally versatile without being over-complicated.
Primarily used for transferring mooring lines during berthing and unberthing operations, the vessels can also perform emergency response, man-overboard rescue, and weather/tide monitoring for pilots.
These vessels represent a modern, purpose-built solution tailored specifically for line-handling duties in one of North America’s most active harbours.
"The design was developed with the outline requirements for the ability to modify the vessel to suit different operational needs," Ian Ellis, Managing Director at Macduff Ship Design, told Baird Maritime. "The initial design is based around a line handling vessel but the design can be lengthened, and the fore end can be revised to provide a lifted fo'c'sle deck for improved seakeeping performance."
In Ellis' view, the ability to meet multiple operational requirements - specifically, providing as many operational possibilities as possible within such a compact vessel - proved challenging during the design work on the line handling boats. Nonetheless, he explained that the flexibility of the original design for later modification has led to future concepts for other owners and operators.
The design was developed with the outline requirements for the ability to modify the vessel to suit different operational needs.
With regard to future concepts, Ellis said that the integration of new fuels and battery technology is becoming increasingly important within the towing sector.
"Vessels that are operating at a fixed point where specific fuels or shore charging can be made readily available are key to this sector, as it means that some of the uncertainty on future fuels and charging can be mitigated. Working cycles can be reviewed to ensure that they suit the requirements for these technologies with potential for operations to be set around required downtime."
Ellis remarked that this make tugs powered by alternative propulsion technologies more capable compared to vessels that operate from multiple ports.
For a list of the 2025 "Best Of" award winners, please click here.