Mathilde Maersk swings at Felixstowe with 3 Svitzer tugs. 2nd October 2017

As the pilot for the Mathilde Maersk headed out to the Sunk on the Harwich Haven pilot launch winds were forcasted to pick up to around 30knots. Felixstowe had taken every precaution to keep the port open for business by have all 4 Svitzer tugs manned until they knew the winds was dying off.

The Mathilde Maersk had travelled from Tangier-Med in Morocco with a maximum draft of 13.1 metres. As she approached the Sunk, none of the deep water berths at Felixstowe were available so she headed for the deep water anchorage slightly north of the Sunk pilot station.    MSC Anna which was about to depart Felixstowe Berth 9 but a squall passing through the harbour held the Anna alongside so a 3rd tug was ordered for her departure.

Just as MSC Anna came off the berth, the pilot boards the Mathilde Maersk and then radios Harwich VTS that he was onboard with a draft of 13.1 metres for Felixstowe berth 9 and to find out where MSC Anna was, wind speed and direction?  VTS replies that a squall with gusts up to 27 knot were passing through the harbour and the MSC Anna was off the berth with 3 tugs. The pilot replies in that case he would come in at reduced speed so they meet the Anna somewhere near the South Shipwash and he would like 3 tugs for berthing, the first at 7&8 to make fast centre lead aft, the second outside to position on the starboard quarter then make fast inside the harbour and the third tug inside the harbour on a bow to bow. The pilot also says that he will be doing a port swing off the berth.

As the MSC Anna finishes with their aft tug, Svitzer Deben waits outside the harbour for Mathilde to get closer then paddles out to 7&8 Buoys to be the first tug. The pilot and the tugs go onto channel 12 on the radio so they could go through the plan for berthing. Once Deben was fast they streched their line ready for the indirect around the 90deg turn into the harbour, the Svitzer Shotley heads out of the harbour to be the quarter tug while the Svitzer Sky leaves the pontoon and slowly paddles towards the corner to be the bow tug.

Approaching the Platters, Deben begins to move out on the portside at full line load to help steer Mathilde around the corner into the harbour. Around the corner the Shotley comes away from the ships side to make fast while the Sky makes their approach to make fast centre lead forward.  Heading up the harbour, the pilot comes astern on the main engines to reduce her speed before swinging. Shortly after the pilot gets the Deben to move onto the starboard quarter and the Sky to move onto the port bow with a slack ready to swing but he wanted a bit more speed to drop off before commencing with the port swing. With the speed down the pilot gets the Deben and Sky to go straight on at 75% to start the swing. As they swing VTS keeps check how far the bow is away from the North Shelf Buoy. Space to the edge of the channel was steady and opening as they almost swung 180 degrees.

Once swung the Sky was asked to move around from the portside to the starboard side into a check position. The shotley comes in to push her closer to the berth before backing off into a check position. The pilot varies the tugs power to carefully edge her on to the berth. Once alongside the Shotley comes in to hold her alongside while the 2 spring lines each end were fast on the bollards, shotly followed the 6 fore and aft lines to hold her alongside.

ETD 11am Wednesday 4th October 2017