The shipping news, part 2

Say hello to the Royal Navy and HMS Tamar. HMS Tamar is a long way from Cornwall (or even Tasmania, which has its own Tamar River). (That was a red herring.)

HMS Tamar is an Offshore Patrol Vessel. The Royal Navy website says that the ship is currently deployed to 'the Indo-Pacific'. Within that very large space, I can tell you it was in Darwin for three periods in May and June. The ship was in port for about a week, then it disappeared, then – shiver me timbers – it returned. And repeat. We can spot the sailors on shore leave. They tend to wander around in groups, look very young, and wear shorts, socks and shoes, unlike most locals who live in thongs.

HMS Tamar can perform a variety of roles from intercepting drug-traffickers and smugglers to protecting UK territorial waters and providing humanitarian assistance in the wake of a disaster. 'She' has also trained extensively to work with Royal Marines Commandos on board and search operations. Not sure about the feminine pronoun in these gender-sensitive times, but that's what the Royal Navy calls her/it/them so I'm quoting.

HMS Tamar was moored at Fort Hill Wharf, directly in front of us. I could hear the ship announcements on speaker, including an inspirational burst of Queen early one morning (the band, not the lady). Swab the decks, me hearties, to the strains of We Are the Champions.

The US Navy was also visiting Darwin. USS Frank Cable is a submarine tender, designed to service nuclear-powered attack submarines. It's basically a floating workshop, with more than 50 specialised workshops and four cranes on board. Apparently it can service four subs at the same time. (I have this mental picture of a mother ship nursing its four little submerged shiplings.) It also has a helicopter pad, althought we saw no activity on that front.

I've heard from colleagues that they've seen Australian submarines in harbour. Sadly, I haven't. But little frigates bob around the harbour frequently. This is HMAS Maryborough, an Armidale-class patrol boat. It was built after an election promise to protect the oil and gas facilities on Australia's northern coastline. C'est voila.

Saving the best for last. Over time, we have developed a very soft spot for tugs. I think it’s something to do with their chubby, friendly appearance, and the way they obligingly tootle out to sea to assist huge ships. Tell me if these pictures don't bring a smile to your face.

Tankers are required to have tug escorts in case of mechanical failure, but tugs are also there to help steer the ship through the shipping lanes. With the large tide differential in Darwin harbour, tugs keep ships off the sandbanks. The most adorable sight is seeing three tugs chuffing away to an enormous gas carrier, and shepherding it into or out of the harbour like Babe the Sheep-pig herding a very large ewe.

I was confused, though, by them being called 'tugs', because (a) they are often behind the ship (who's tugging whom?) and (b) they push more than they tug. Why aren't they called pushers? I did some research. After wading through pages of technical information when all I wanted was to solve the tug/push conundrum, this is my understanding:

• when tugs push the bow, they are simultaneously 'tugging' the stern

• when they are behind the ship, they are tugging the ship by managing its direction.

And so — tugs.

Postscript

The Shipping News is one of my all-time favourite novels. Annie Proulx is a genius writer. For those who haven’t read this book, the protagonist Quoyle moves to a small town in Newfoundland, where he’s employed to write a column in the local newspaper about ships coming into and out of port. He ends up writing the stories about ships. Now there’s a job I’d like.