LIVING THE TUG LIFE

Living with Parkinson’s Disease hasn’t stopped tugmaster Troy Evans handling his giant vessels, writes Matt Shand.

THROWING a 338-metre container ship into a handbrake turn before parallel parking at the dock requires steely nerves and steady hands. And watching Port of Tauranga tugmaster Troy Evans manoeuvre his vessel around the aft of the Maersk freighter Alfirk, you can see he has both.

Tilting the controls forward on his twin-engine Tai Timu tug will rapidly accelerate it to a top speed of 12.9 knots (23.8km/h).

Jarring too far to the left or right will cause the type of spin a Shotover Jet captain would be proud of.

‘‘The boat can handle it,’’ he says. ‘‘But you will have to hold on if I did.’’

The clunky-looking tugboat’s captain, however, has been defying a medical perception that he shouldn’t be able to still operate one. ‘‘I was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s disease a while back,’’ he says. ‘‘It’s no secret. I take medication and make sure I keep myself fit and active. If I keep my medication right there are no issues.’’

Doctors are pleased with how Evans has kept himself fit and healthy. ‘‘Doctors just say ‘keep doing what you are doing’.’’

For the past twelve hours that has been escorting eight ships into the Port of Tauranga throughout the night and well into daybreak. A few years ago, that might have been a quarter of the number. Last year a $350 million expansion project was completed accelerating the port into the top position of New Zealand freight movements.

Busy is the operative word. During the last financial year Tauranga became the first Kiwi port to ship one million twentyfoot equivalent containers – staff remember doing 100,000, 20 years ago and having enough spare time to do a spot of fishing inbetween jobs.

The expansion and subsequent investment programme saw the shipping lanes being dredged to allow 14.5 draft ships, new container cranes, and the extension of the wharf. Bringing the large ships in safely is important, which is why $20 million was allocated to purchase two new tugboats.

‘‘It is possible for the Alfirk to perform a 180-degree turn in port, but it would take a very long time and would not be very safe,’’ he says.

Evans, with his encyclopedic knowledge of tugs, was chosen to help pick the right tug for the port. ‘‘I was on the team that developed the specifications into the contract. We changed it to suit the port’s needs.’’

The selection group went with the Canadian designer Robert Allan’s Hong Kong-built ‘‘RAmpart’’ style, capable of a 70-tonne bollard pull, the measure of a vessel’s towing power. ‘‘They were very solidly built,’’ Evans says. ‘‘When the Tai Timu was on her maiden voyage it actually rescued a Chinese seafarer who was crew on a ship that sank in the South American sea. He stayed on the tug for the rest of the journey to New Zealand.’’

The tugs just celebrated their second birthday at Tauranga and, as the Alfirk signals for a tow rope to be attached as it approaches the port, the Tai Timu ticks over its 4500th hour of

It’s no secret. I take medication and make sure I keep myself fit and active. If I keep my medication right there are no issues.’

operation, nearly as many hours as ships it has escorted.

Men in orange suits scramble on the deck of the Alfirk. The tug engineer, who also connects the towing winch, heads to collect a tow line to attach the two vessels. The winch spools out a blue and yellow rope, chosen by Evans to represent the Bay of Plenty.

‘‘They board the ship from the pilot launch, once the pilot is on board, the pilot takes conduct of the vessel and brings the ship in and gives the orders and the tugs take their orders from the pilot,’’ Evans says. ‘‘Tugs assist the ships in slowing down and turning. We can use the ships to assist turning.’’