The British Tugowners Association (BTA) was delighted to sign a new collaborative agreement with Polestar Publishing at Seawork on 11 June. The agreement formalises a publishing partnership between the BTA and Polestar Publishing, strengthening a successful collaboration that has played a key role in the development and dissemination of industry Read more
On any major salvage under Lloyd’s Open Form with SCOPIC invoked, one role is consistently misunderstood, sometimes resented, and always consequential: the SCR By Edwin Lampert Nick Haslam (Brookes Bell): “The SCR isn’t the contractor’s enemy” (source: Brookes Bell) Appointed by the shipowner, the Special Casualty Representative (SCR) attends site, Read more
Sanmar Shipyards used its platform at this year’s BTA Annual Conference in Liverpool to deliver something more valuable than a simple 50-year milestone narrative By Edwin Lampert Sanmar Shipyards provided valuable insight into its decades of success (source: Sanmar Shipyards) Delegates at this year’s BTA Annual Conference in Liverpool received Read more
The British Tugowners Association’s Annual Conference in Liverpool offered a rare window into how salvage works in practice. What emerged was of direct relevance to anyone with a vessel, cargo or insurance exposure at risk By Edwin Lampert James Severn (Penningtons Manches Cooper): Emphasised severe peril and the Convention’s encouragement Read more
Britain’s push towards net zero by 2050 is driving a new frontier in renewable energy: floating offshore windfarms, but concerns about attachment risks persist By Edwin Lampert Lisa Tuckwell (SOSREP): “Consider these new risks and develop appropriate response plans” (source: SOSREP) At this year’s British Tugowners Annual Conference in Liverpool, Read more
The British Tugowners Association was delighted to award Captain William (Bill) Evans its Tug Personality of the Year Award for 2026 at a Technical Committee meeting hosted at BMT in Fareham. Tom Woolley, the BTA’s Honorary President, presented Bill will the award and offered the following citation: The award is Read more
One year on from the allision between the MV Solong and Stena Immaculate in the Humber, Robert Merrylees, Policy Director and Secretary of the British Tugowners Association (BTA) explores calls for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and UK Government to review and strengthen the UK’s emergency response capability. On Read more
The MAIB has this week published a safety warning video addressing the tragic capsize of the conventional tug Biter in February 2023, an incident that tragically resulted in the loss of two lives. The video, issued within the MAIB Safety Bulletin 1/2026, highlights critical lessons regarding towage planning, the impact Read more
Insight, Leadership and Collaboration Across the Towage Industry. The BTA invites its members, and all those with an interest in towage, to a two‑day gathering that brings the towage community together to connect, share expertise and engage with leaders shaping the future of UK towage. The programme opens with an Read more
The 2025 BTA Annual Safety Seminar was held on Thursday 6 November, at the Leonardo Royal Hotel in Southampton, kindly sponsored by Sanmar, Boluda Towage and Damen. The event welcomed over 90 attendees including tug masters, pilots, marine superintendents, P&I clubs, members of the MCA MAIB, lawyers, workboat crew, harbour Read more