The Anchorage at Port Everglades
Has Seen Increased Traffic this Summer

The bright red boats with TowBoatU.S. Emblazoned across the side have been busy this summer providing launch services to commercial ships in the Port Everglades Anchorage. In addition to the normal volume of cargo and passenger launch traffic, two ships had an extended stay in the anchorage and changed ownership during their visit to South Florida. TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale was called upon to perform dozens of operations over a 6 week period to these two ships. Government officials, technicians, surveyors, owners and charterers were among the large number of people that were transported to and from these ships throughout their stay. Cargo launches were nearly a daily occurrence as the ship crews worked through the process of removing equipment and personal effects from the ships while new owners worked diligently to get each ship prepared for their first voyage under new ownership. As the process unfolded, provisions were delivered, spare parts transported and important paperwork transferred to ensure the process of transferring ownership continued on schedule and as planned.

Management from TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale met with the ship’s agents and other stakeholders prior to beginning operations and agreed upon a plan. The crews of the launch boats and TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale’s 24 hours dispatchers were briefed. As the operations began, each element of the process was handled seamlessly with open communication from all parties. Owners, agents, suppliers, delivery companies and crew all communicated via telephone and email using the TowBoatU.S. Dispatch desk as the epicenter of the operation. Director of Sales Barney Hauf commented “Our goal is to do everything possible to handle the details of each trip and to save the ship owner and/or agent time and energy. We learned years ago that coordinating timing and logistics directly with suppliers and technicians afforded the ships agent more time to focus on more important details of the ship’s visit. We strive to perform at this level whether the job is to transport one crew member or to deliver 40 pallets of supplies and provisions to a ship.”

TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to provide launch services to ships in the South Florida anchorages or in international waters.