During recent years a steep progress in maritime digitization, including the navigation systems can be witnessed. What started out with adding more and more add-on features to ECDIS and a subsequent merger of ECDIS with radar to so called ‘chart radar’ installations, has now become fully integrated navigation and bridge systems. Despite the fact that IBS installations are already installed, in operation and used by the crew onboard most of the modern ships, the risk of operating such systems without proper training is obvious and this has already led to a number of serious incidents.

First published in 1997 ‘Tug Use in Port’ has been known for over two decades as the ‘tug bible’ – the essential practical guide to port towage and escort operations. Significant developments in port towage have taken place since then – new tug types have come on to the market and escort tugs have been developed further also with regard to the conditions that these tugs have to cope with.

The loading of merchant vessels has changed drastically over the years. The big shore gangs have been replaced by cranes and conveyer belts and only a foreman and a crane driver load the vessel. In some cases, the vessel’s crew is expected to conduct loading operations themselves.