TOWAGE SERVICES

We have 5 Dutch built harbour tugs employed on barge assistance and docking/undocking operations for small to medium sized vessels using the various Clyde ports, ranging from 5 to 28Te bollard pull. All are available for service 24 hours a day.

BOATMEN & MOORING SERVICES

Clyde Marine Services have provided the vital harbour service of boatmen and mooring gangs since 1913 , throughout the various Clyde ports. All CMS boatmen are fully licenced skippers, examined and certificated to MCA Boatmaster Licence standard, who assist ships in the most exposed and difficult situations, and during all kinds of weather conditions.

We are an organization that can be contacted day and night, throughout the year.

CMS are members of the European Boatmen’s Association, the purpose of which is to enhance the sector’s professional standards.

The role of boatmen for the efficiency and safety of ports is always overlooked, despite the important role boatmen perform in the safe berthing and unberthing of ships in exposed locations in all weathers.

No berthing or mooring procedure can be safely conducted unless the pilot has confidence in the mooring boat crews and mooring gangs.

Mooring Launches

We operate a fleet of four launches, entirely built and designed according to our specific demands, required due to the specialized nature of the work.

Our newest mooring launches are specially designed and strongly built craft that can be operated during all kinds of weather conditions, and are equipped with a hydraulic wire rope clamp for safe handling of ships ropes and wires. The clamp can be released from the steering position.

Owing to a special air chamber construction, our new launches are considered to be unsinkable. If a boat is flooded, she will remain afloat for sufficient time to save the lives of the crew.

We carry out thorough in-house on-board audits of each launch every 4 weeks.

Training

All employees receive full inductions prior to their first attendance at any mooring operation. The inductions cover shore-side working as well as working in the boat.

In addition, we have carried out extensive Risk Assessments to all our mooring operation services.

Due to the highly specialized nature of this inherently dangerous work, and through our association with the EBA colleagues in Europe , we have developed an external training course for new employees.

New employees attend training in Rotterdam, the world’s busiest port, and are examined and certificated at the end of their training. The course syllabus and examination are approved by the International Maritime Organisation.

SHIP HELMSMEN AND RIGGERS

We also provide certificated Ship Helmsmen and Riggers for
Barge/Shipwork according to demand.

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT PROCESSES

Clyde Marine Services aim to continually improve the quality and reliability of our services to ensure they meet our customers needs, expectations and all legislative requirements. We aim at all times to achieve the highest level of customer satisfaction, and were accredited to ISO 9001:2000 by Det Norske Veritas (DNV) in January 2003.
As a company we are committed to improving the services that we provide, and consider the ISO9001:2000 Business Management System as a benefit to our customers.

RISK ASSESSMENTS

We continually review our existing and new operations using Risk Assessment processes, to ensure that the hazards and controls are still relevant, and that any job specific controls are identified.

SAFETY MANAGEMENT CODE-PASSENGER CARRYING OPERATIONS

All five passenger vessels are operated and maintained to our MCA approved Domestic Safety Management Code.

This code defines our Standard Operating Procedures, Planned Maintenance Programme and Emergency Procedures, and is audited twice a year by the MCA.

SEARCH AND RESCUE PLANS - PASSENGER CARRYING OPERATIONS

Each passenger vessel is provided with a Search and Rescue plan which is audited annually and approved by HMCG.

This plan is developed in co-operation between the company and the search and rescue services, and includes provisions for periodic exercises to be undertaken to test its effectiveness.