The Ville-class tug are a class of harbour tugboats employed by the Royal Canadian Navy.[1] [2]
Canada operated a fleet of 17-ton tugs, built during the Second World War which were also called the Ville class.[2] The current vessels are named after those vessels.[3] There is confusion that the current Ville-class design was based on the British Pup-class tugs. The original 17-ton version was based on that design, however the new Villes are an independent design.[2]
The Ville class were designed by the Canadian naval architecture company Robert Allan Ltd as harbour tugs. They have a low-slung shape that is ideal for tight maneuvering and nudging exercises on larger ships. Their kort-nozzle allows for a greater bollard pull however it loses its pull at anything over 10kn and loses speed in turns.[2] The Ville class are 13.71m (44.98feet) long with a beam of 4.72m (15.49feet) and a draught of 2.74m (08.99feet).[4]
Members of the class built on the east coast were given one Caterpillar 3406 diesel engine that provides 365hp and Ville-class tugs built on the west coast were supplied with one Caterpillar D343 diesel engine rated at 365hp. This power is directed towards a steerable kort nozzle which gives the class a speed of 9kn.[4]
The Ville class has a max bollard pull of 7.5 tons, denoting them as small tugboats. The bollard pull measures the amount of pulling or pushing power a ship has.[2]
| Ville-class tugboats | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Pennant number | Commissioned | Builder | Stationed |
| Lawrenceville | YTL 590 | 1974 | Vito Steel & Barge Co. | CFB Esquimalt |
| Parksville | YTL 591 | 1974 | Vito Steel & Bargo Co. | CFB Esquimalt |
| Listerville | YTL 592 | 1974 | Georgetown Shipyard, P.E.I. | CFB Halifax |
| Merrickville | YTL 593 | 1974 | Georgetown Shipyard, P.E.I. | CFB Halifax |
| Granville | YTL 594 | 1974 | Georgetown Shipyard, P.E.I. | CFB Halifax |
The Royal Canadian Navy operates five other, larger tugboats, the 140-ton, and five 250-ton tugs, and one 140-ton s.[2] [5] [6] The larger tugs are also split between both coasts.
On 29 April 2019 the Government of Canada announced Ocean Industries of Isle-aux-Coudres, Quebec was awarded the contract to build four tow-tug/rescue vessels to replace both the Fire-class fireboats and Glen-class tugs with delivery expected from 2021 to 2023.[7] The new tugs will be staffed by civilian crews and be restricted to the naval base/yard only.