A TUG tragedy which claimed the lives of two men in the Clyde off Greenock occurred because several protocols that were meant to keep those onboard the vessel safe broke down, marine investigators have said.

The UK’s chief inspector of marine accidents has branded the capsize and sinking of the tug Biter as a ‘cruel lesson’ following the publication of a long-awaited Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) report into the incident, which occurred off East India Harbour on February 24 last year.

Crew members George Taft, 65, from Greenock, and Ian Catterson, 73, from Millport, died after the twin screw conventional tug girted and overturned while assisting the cruise ship Hebridean Princess as she made her approach towards James Watt Dock.

The tugboat capsized at around 3.30pm on the fatal day, with Helensburgh’s RNLI and Coastguard rescue team responding to the incident.

The MAIB’s report has identified several safety issues and made a number of recommendations to the tug’s owners, the Clyde’s harbour authority Clydeport Operations Limited and a number of professional associations.

The report states that the marine pilot’s training had not prepared them to work with conventional tugs.

Ian CattersonIan Catterson (Image: Police Scotland) It has also highlighted that the exchanges between master and pilot and pilot and tug were incomplete and that the Hebridean Princess’s master and the tug masters were unable to challenge the pilot’s intentions due to not having a shared understanding of their plan.

It is said that the Hebridean Princess’s speed placed significant load on the tug’s lines and ‘almost certainly’ caused the gob rope – a type of rigging used to prevent a tugboat from capsizing - to render.

Investigators say that the tug’s gob rope did not prevent it being girted and that the speed of its capsize meant that Biter’s crew had insufficient time to release its towlines.

The MAIB has also said that the tug’s watertight integrity was compromised due to an open hatch, which limited the crew’s chance of survival.

The investigators have recommended that Clyde Marine Services Limited, who own the tug, reviews its safety management system and risk assessments to provide clear guidance on the rigging of the gob rope, the safe speed to conduct key manoeuvres, and adopt a recognised training scheme for its tug masters.

They have also made suggested that Clydeport Operations Limited commission an independent review of its marine pilot training and to risk assess and review its pilot grade limits and tug matrix.

Recommendations have also been made to professional associations representing pilots, harbourmasters, and tug owners to develop appropriate guidance on the safety issues raised in this report.

Andrew Moll OBE, chief inspector of marine accidents, said: “Tug Biter’s accident was another cruel lesson of how rapidly things can go dreadfully wrong. In less than 10 seconds the tug capsized, and two experienced seafarers lost their lives, because of a breakdown of the systems that should have kept them safe. 

 “Small conventional tugs remain an essential part of UK port operations. However, the vulnerabilities of these vessels must be understood by those that operate and control them.

“Harbour authorities, ship and tug masters, and pilots should collectively own this risk.

“Pilots and tug crews must be suitably trained and experienced for their roles, and they must share a detailed understanding of the towage plan before they start the job.

“Speed, which has an exponential effect on towing forces, must be carefully controlled and the lines correctly set. Everyone involved must then monitor the execution of the plan and, if needed, act to keep everyone safe.”