TowService BV

With a broad practice experience in the tow business as captain or as surveyor for other warranty survey offices. Our surveyors can assist in the most convenient way to get your tow and/or cargo safe and sound at their destination. We are convinced that TowService B.V. is a welcome addition on this limited market. On top of this practical experience TowService B.V. mixed this experience with the knowledge of a well-known engineering office. In this cooperation all special transports will be calculated and/or checked in respect of cradles, pedestals, sea fastenings or other structural matters.

Warranty Surveys

Towage approvals and certification

Warranty surveys arise from the desire of underwriters to limit their exposure to risks. Faced with insuring a towage project, the underwriter may feel more comfortable if they know that a competent and experienced surveyor has physically inspected tug and tow and/or cargo and approved the arrangements. With modern equipment and software TowService B.V. is able to monitor the weather forecasts and navigational hazards continuously and provide the vessel, manager and underwriter on daily base with the latest updated information.

Lashing surveys – certification

Heavy lift and Transport approvals

In cooperation with Prevent Survey or others engineering offices, TowService B.V. provide all kinds of project cargo warranty surveys. The base of this is our “Project Cargo Risk Management System” what includes pre project risk analysis and calculations, ensure the risk is properly managed and exposures are minimized, suitability of vessels, vehicles, lashings and lifting equipment, and many more. All these conform global adapted regulations and guidelines as described behind tab “Regulations”.

Lifting and lowering operations

Lifting operations can often put people at great risk of injury, as well as incurring great costs when they go wrong. It is therefore important to properly resource, plan and organise lifting operations so they are carried out in a safe manner. TowService B.V. provide surveyors who have experience with all kind of lifting operations who can plan, prepare, communicate and check lifting operations before start and during the operation. By a complete Risk assessment of the lifting operations the risk are reduced resulting in save operations.

RoRo and float on/off operations

Roll on and Roll off operations with Self Propelled Modular Transporters (SPMT’s) of heavy or voluminous cargo on and off barges or vessels are operations consisting of multiple disciplines. During these operations often different companies are involved. Surveyors off TowService B.V. can combine the different disciplines in order to avoid risks. The disciplines concern, among others, Stability calculations, Ballast plans, Stowage plans, lashing plans, capacity calculations etc. Due to a good planning, good communication and a lot of experience, the operations can be done safer and most of the time more efficient when we are involved during the preparations and during the implementation.

The risk mentioned above also applies more or less for Float on and Float of operations. In many occasions a transport can be a combination, when e.g. a Cargo is loaded by SPMT’s and off loaded with a Float off operation. Specialized Heavy Lift Ships, also known as semisubmersible ships, provide the capability to load, transport and offload (outsized) cargo. These ships or barges are designed to take on ballast water in floodable tanks that partially submerges the vessel. Cargo is then floated over the submerged portion of the vessel which then de-ballasts and surfaces under the cargo. After the vessel is full afloat, the cargo is secured for transport.

Voyage approvals

Requests for (single) voyages approvals arise from the desire of underwriters to limit their exposure to risks during a voyage from a vessel or tow. Faced with insuring for a voyage, the underwriter may feel more comfortable if they know that a competent and experienced surveyor has physically inspected the related vessel, tug and tow and approved the arrangements. With modern equipment and software TowService B.V. is able to monitor the weather forecasts and navigational hazards continuously and provide the vessel, manager and underwriter on daily base with the latest updated information.

Tow and Loading masters

TowService B.V can provide a Tow masters and/or Load master, with extensive knowledge and skills as captain or master mariner in the field of towing. The tow master or Loading master is able to hand over his knowledge and experience to others with clear motivations. The tow master is the responsible person during a complex tow transport with multiple tugs. The tow master advises a tugboat captain when he is lacking specific experience at complex assignments or transports, or when communication over the radio proves to be difficult. The tow master can thus prevent damage to equipment and lost time to operations if the crew -of an otherwise good ship- are not able to carry out the job. The loading master is the person in charge during a loading operation when cargo is loaded on or off a vessel/barge.

Project cargo Risk management

Analysing the risks involved into the transportation of every project cargo is essential to reduce the chance of having a financial damage related to the cargo.. Surveyors of TowService B.V. can tell you what risks the owners and underwriters will be exposed to during whole transportation and how to minimalize the risks. Our experienced surveyors will analyse all aspects of the project and consider all exposures. By doing this, they will lead parties involved to the right solution in terms of route, modal of transportation, methods used, etc.