Tugboats

Harbour tugs, ocean-going tugs, salvage tugs, pushers, and anchor handlers — the workhorses of the maritime industry. Fleet data, bollard pull ratings, and propulsion systems.

Global Tug Fleet

~8,200 vessels

ASD Tugs

2,800 vessels

Max Bollard Pull

350+ tonnes

Pusher Fleet

3,500+ vessels

Tug Types

ASD

Azimuth Stern Drive Tug

2,800

Azimuthing thrusters fore and aft — most maneuverable type, dominant in modern ports

BP: 40–100tDrive: Azimuth

VSP

Voith Schneider Propeller Tug

450

Cycloidal propeller system — instant thrust in any direction, excellent precision for LNG/cruise berths

BP: 35–80tDrive: Cycloidal

ATB

Articulated Tug-Barge

220

Notch-coupled tug/barge unit acting as a single vessel — US coastwise trade dominant

BP: 40–80tDrive: Conventional

Ocean Tug

Ocean-Going Tug

380

Long-range towage of barges, rigs, semi-submersibles across oceans

BP: 80–200tDrive: Conventional / ASD

AHTS

Anchor Handling Tug Supply

530

Dual-purpose: offshore towing and anchor handling for drilling rigs

BP: 80–350tDrive: ASD / Controllable pitch

Pusher

Pusher Tug

3,500

Inland waterway push-boats for barge trains on rivers and canals

BP: 10–50tDrive: Conventional

Salvage

Salvage Tug

Emergency ocean salvage with firefighting, pumping and salvage equipment on board

BP: 100–300tDrive: Conventional / ASD

Escort

Escort Tug

220

Tanker escort in confined waters — active steering and braking assistance

BP: 60–120tDrive: ASD / VSP

Bollard Pull Guide

< 20tSmall harbour moves, barge handling, ferry assistance

20–40tStandard harbour tug — coastal vessels up to ~10,000 DWT

40–60tPort tug for bulk carriers, tankers up to ~50,000 DWT

60–100tLarge ship berthing — VLCCs, LNG carriers, mega cruise ships

100–200tOcean towing, semi-submersible towing, rig moves

200–350t+Heavy offshore towing, deepwater AHTS operations

Propulsion Systems

ASD (Azimuth Stern Drive)

Z-drive thrusters at stern — rotates 360°. Most common in new builds since 2000. High maneuverability.

VSP (Voith-Schneider)

Cycloidal vertical blade propeller — zero-speed thrust in any direction. Preferred for LNG and cruise terminals.

Tractor Tug

Azimuthing units at bow, conventional propeller at stern. Pulls rather than pushes — alternative to ASD geometry.

Conventional / FPP

Fixed pitch propeller with rudder. Oldest and simplest design — mainly found on older harbour tugs and inland pushers.