History

CONTENTS TABLE OF

As a result of that fire, the Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ) recognized that tug services were needed for the berthing and un-berthing of oil tankers in all ports outside of Kingston and not just the Kingston Port where they provided the service. A group of Marine Pilots under the stewardship of Hermon King, got together and purchased LAWFUL which was used in the berthing and un-berthing of oil tankers in Montego Bay, Freeport, Port Kaiser, Port Esquivel and Rocky Point

A people without knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots

"Historically, in Jamaica in the early 1960s, tugboats were mainly owned by overseas interests, with smaller, locally owned boats converted and used as tugs. However, as the ships calling in the port of Kingston became greater, the need for assistance from tugs increased accordingly. By 1980, the Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ) purchased the first two locally owned tugs. At present, the PAJ has contracted two tugs from the Canadian company Ocean to meet the needs of larger ships in Kingston."

Jamaica Gleaner, Tuesday, September 22, 2020

In May 2012, the use of a tug was deemed unnecessary by the port operators at Rocky Point. Upon approaching the berth, the vessel MT Pathfinder with a deep draft sheered to port making contact with the berth causing extensive damage which could have been avoided if a tug had been there to assist. As a result of this accident it was agreed that two tugs were needed to dock and undock the oil tankers; one tug to dock and two tugs to undock the alumina vessels. Fortunately Portside had the two tugs needed to avoid disruption and to ensure continued operations at the port Up to October 2012, we were operating with two tugs

The accident also forced the Port Authority to examine the need for tug services in the other ports outside of Kingston . The infrastructure of most outports has not changed significantly over the last fifty years while the ships are getting bigger (longer and wider) in order to accommodate more cargo This now makes vessel manoeuvring within the outports very difficult and critical, creating the need for tug services for safe berthing and un-berthing of vessels, which is an expectation by ship operators. This situation applies especially in Port Esquivel, Rocky Point, Port Kaiser and Discovery Bay where large deep draught bulk carriers load Alumina, bauxite and unload fuel oil

Portside Towing Ltd, currently operates nine tugboats consisting of 2 ASD and 7 conventional twin screw vessels...

...to fulfil the commitment required by the Port Authority (see Table 1). They are used to assist with the safe berthing and un-berthing of ships in the various outports carrying alumina, sugar, containers, break bulk cargo, bauxite, passengers and oil at the ports of Rocky Point, Port Esquivel, Portland Bight (New Fortress Energy LNG operation), Ocho Rios, Montego Bay, Falmouth, Discovery Bay, Rio Bueno and Port Kaiser (see Table 2) The Port Authority of Jamaica currently does not provide the tug services needed for the safe manoeuvring of ships that call at these outports. Hence, PTL adequately fills this gap by providing the necessary services.