El remolque de escoltapropuesta fundamentada hacia la necesidad de la implementación de un remolcador versátil en el puerto exterior de La Coruña

Resumen

The oil tanker “Exxon Valdez” accident and the subsequent environmental catastrophe triggered the promulgation of the OPA 90 in USA and, with it, the escort towing as a compulsory vital tool focused on avoid the potential consequences which can take place when the steering and/or propulsion system on tankers transiting through sensitive areas near the coast are lost. Years later, several Northern Europe oil terminals started to demand the escort towing, being the germ of an ongoing implementation in the continent. Decades ago, accidents of oil tankers in La Coruna and vicinity were a paradigmatic example of risks involved and consequences associated with this type of accidents; hence, the need to use all available means to prevent them as the traffic of these vessels be transferred to the outer harbour. In this Thesis, starting from the state of art in the towing world, a type of versatile tug is analysed and finally purposed in a reasoned way so that the tasks of genuine escort towing and harbour towing could be carried out in an efficient way to be a relevant element of the harbour safety system.