MARINE MANAGEMENT

We operate our own versatile fleet of Tugs and Barges since the 1990s. Today we run the largest fleet of its kind in the country – and it’s a fleet that continues to grow and evolve to meet the demands of London’s development and regeneration.

More materials by river

Each day we move up to 10,000 Tonnes of bulk cargo by river – equivalent to more than 400 lorries on the road. Of course, not every part of London has direct access to the Thames but by combining our road and river logistics, we are able to maximise the amount of material we transport via the river.

Our river fleet gives us huge versatility and is often used to support major civil engineering schemes requiring shallow draft, coastal and sea-going tugs to provide towage for barge transportation:

• SWS Endurance – Multicat versatile with crane.
• SWS Essex and SWS Suffolk – Pusher tugs
• Zeehound – chartered Tug
• Barges – 2,750t capacity
• Hopper barges – 1500t Capacity
• Barges – 1000t Capacity
• Barges – 500t Capacity
• Floating Pontoon

All 19 barges have PLA (Port of London Authority) licences for operation on the River Thames.

Extensive berthing facilities

Our marine fleet is located at our permanent berth at Rainham Jetty but we have unrivalled access to many other berths and buoys along the Thames:

• Tilbury Dock
• West India Dock
• KG V dock including Excel centre
• Rainham Swing buoy
• Erith buoy
• Hole Haven Creek buoy
• Swanscombe buoy
• plus several up-river berths on request

We can also supply material handlers and operators on all foreshore sites. We operate specialist Fuchs mobile machines with weigh loaders plus dedicated berthing coordinators acting as linesman who oversee loading operations.

Working to the highest standards

Our crew of mariners are highly skilled and experienced, each with a minimum of 5 years’ training before operating our tugs. We develop and maintain our own competency standards in line with industry best practice to ensure safety and efficiency.

We are committed to achieving the highest possible standards of operation in the maritime industry. To achieve this we regularly review our systems, with compliance being measured using both internal and external audits, inspections, surveys and regular management visits.

Our crew knows the importance of strict compliance with our management system to maintain safety, quality and efficiency of our marine operations.