INFORMATION SUPPORT OF OPERATOR ACTIVITY IN ORGANIZING THE TUG SERVICE

Today, the tugs operatingin ports are of a different type and capacity and mostly depend on ship size and port-external conditions of the port (wind, waves, current and shallow water). The main risks at ports, which are pointed out by some authors, can be classified as follows: poor ship and port staff knowledge and training; the human factor in general; poor maintenance of port tugs; poor communication between all parties during a ship’s arrival at or departure from the port, as well as mooring operations (in the case that the ship’s crew, port pilot and tugs masters communicate in different languages); poor or outdated tug equipment; poor safety culture. When the vessel navigates in areas with hazardous sections of the waterway, entering and leaving the port, as well as when performing mooring operations to ensure the necessary maneuverability of the vessel and maintain navigational safety at the proper level, line and/or port pilots, escort and harbor tugs are additionally involved. The most dangerous are situations of a ship's power plant failure during maneuvering in confined waters when tugboats become the only means of control that can prevent an accident. During pilotage in international waters, the process of interaction between the ship's crew, pilots and tugs is complicated by the presence of language and cultural barriers, which complicates effective synergy. Therefore, proper training is essential to maintain an adequate level of safety. In this paper, a plan for maneuvering with the use of the operational effort of tugs in extreme situations has been developed, and a checklist for organizational and administrative preparation of the ship's controls for operation in extreme conditions has been proposed.