King’s Harbour Master tugging away

By Lookout Production on Mar 20, 2024 with Comments 0

(Left) Brian Whittaker, King’s Harbour Master (KHM) Pilot 1 and Mooring and Training Officer, and Tansel Erkmen, KHM Pilot 2, view potential landing spots on Y-Jetty from an observation deck aboard HMCS Saskatoon on Feb. 29. The two are civilian employees and members of the Port Operations and Emergency Services Branch Auxiliary Fleet. Photo: Peter Mallett/Lookout Newspaper.

Peter Mallett,
Staff Writer

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Tansel Erkmen’s training and certification for his Pilot 2 clearance with King’s Harbour Master (KHM) were conducted with the KHM Glendale Tug over four days last week.

The rigorous training involved mastering various maneuvers, such as departing, coming alongside different berths, backing, and driving forward at most of the jetties in Esquimalt Harbour. These skills are crucial for a KHM Pilot 2, as they ensure safe and efficient navigation in the harbour.

This training procedure involved moving a Maritime Coastal Defence Vessel (MCDV) using single lines different configurations, and communicating with the Lawrenceville Tug at the stern of Saskatoon to ensure a seamless move. Whittaker says that two tugboats are usually required for harbour operations, so communication and understanding between the two tugs and pilot is critical for any move.

“The MCDVs can be rather tricky for docking and undocking and take some practice because they are smaller than frigates; they get very twitchy when you apply power and the tugs at the bow or the stern need to react to this,” said Whittaker. This highlights the precision and skill required of a KHM Pilot 2, as they must navigate these challenging conditions to ensure the safe movement of MCDVs in the harbour.

Earlier in the week, Erkmen successfully completed a similar towing operation involving Halifax-class frigate HMCS Ottawa at A-Jetty. The completion of Erkmen’s training was vitally important, says Whittaker, since the KHM currently has only two full-time pilots working on the West Coast. As a KHM Pilot, Erkmen will be qualified to move Department of National Defence assets into the harbour, requiring extensive training.

The Glendale Tug, a vessel of the King’s Harbour Master Auxiliary Fleet, completes a towing operation at Y-Jetty as part of Tansel Erkmen’s training, Feb. 29 at CFB Esquimalt. Photo: Peter Mallett/Lookout Newspaper.