How does Tugdock work?

Tugdock uses a series of air buoyancy bags which are sequentially inflated to raise any vessel or floating structure (weighing up to 2000 tonnes) out of the water. The vessel sits on a light yet sturdy structure, safely supported for your floating requirements.

Stage One

Vessel shown here is a 37m x 14.5m x 458 tonne Catamaran. Air is vented from the central bags to sink the Tugdock.

Stage Two

The catamaran moves over the Tugdock and moors to the cradle arms which have been pre-set to match vessel beam.

Stage Three

The vessel is tied to sliding mooring rings on the cradles vertical arms, to keep central on the Tugdock.

Stage Four

When ready to lift, air is blown into the central bags in a predetermined sequence to ensure a uniform and stable lift.

Our Naval Architect arranges the inflation sequence to suit the type of vessel or floating structure to be lifted.

Discover how Tugdock can be tailored to various types of vessels and floating structures

Tugdock is extremely versatile, due to its modular structure, so can be adjusted to fit many requirements.

We received a Grant from the Marine Challenge Fund, part of the ERDF’s European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 to help launch this innovative design. Because of this generous grant, we are now in the stage of building a full-size prototype and have been able to promote Tugdock to a worldwide audience, establishing relationships with prime networking partners in the marine industry. It has enabled us to grow our business and to boost the marine technology sector in Cornwall overall.