Once the Merete Maersk was alongside and making fast, a Harwich Haven pilot boards the CSCL Globe which was ready to depart heavily laden Eastbound for Malaysia. The pilot radios Harwich VTS to say they were ready for the services but wanted to up the tug order to three tugs. As only one tug was available, Svitzer Shotley, the CSCL Globe had to wait for the other tugs were stood down. The plan was to come off the berth and hopefully swing to starboard before the ebb tide.
Shotley leaves the tug pontoon and makes fast centre lead forward while the pilot waits for the other tugs. Svitzer Deben was the first tug to be stood down from the Merete and goes back to the pontoon for a minute and heads to the aft of the Globe to make fast centre lead aft. A little while later the Sky was stood down and proceeds to make fast on the port quarter.
With the tugs all fast, the mooring gang begin to single up. The spring lines fore and aft were the last to be slackened. Once the lines were released, the pilot starts to increase the power of the tugs to ease her away from the fenders. Aft tugs increases further to start swinging the stern. Once the gap between the bow of the Globe and the quay was big enough, Shotley could creep around the bow to the starboard side and swing the bow around.
Once swung, the pilot release the Sky from the quarter and gets them to standby on the most aft tug marker ready for a push indirect. Shotley forward is released from forward and stood down.
Approaching the Fort Buoy, the pilot gets the Sky to push up at a 40° angle on the port quarter for a push indirect. Meanwhile on the stern, Deben moves out onto the starboard side at full power for a powered indirect. Without the tugs assisting deep draughted 400 metre vessels, the most likely outcome of turning around the 90° Beach End would likely end in a vessel running aground.
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