Tug Master
F3. Seafaring Life, Education, Professions and InstitutionsDefinition
Skilled professional master of a tug.
The licensed master in command of a tugboat, handling harbor towage, ship-assist berthing, escort, coastal and ocean towing, and salvage support. The role demands close-quarters ship-handling skill: working a conventional, azimuth stern-drive (ASD), or Voith-Schneider tug against a much larger vessel, managing the towline load, and avoiding girting (capsize from a transverse tow pull). The tug master holds an STCW Regulation II/2 or II/3 certificate scaled to tonnage and area; smaller harbor tugs fall under near-coastal or restricted endorsements.
Source: STCW 1978 as amended, Regulation II/2 and II/3 (master, scaled by tonnage and trading area).