Bollard pull

Bollard pull is the static pulling force a tug can exert at zero speed, measured in tonnes against a fixed bollard, the headline figure for matching a tug to a towing or ship-handling task. It is derived from installed propulsion power and propeller or nozzle efficiency, not power alone. Required bollard pull for berthing a large ship is estimated from the ship’s windage and the design wind and current, then split among the tugs assigned. It is the practical specification for harbour, escort, and ocean-towage tugs.