New book celebrates maritime heritage

South Africa’s supertugs memorialised

SOUTH AFRICA: It took two years to curate, but the stunning coffee table book on the country’s supertugs is a fitting testimony to South Africa’s maritime heritage, which saw the institutionalisation of the world’s most powerful tugs that became household names as they responded to incidents at sea across the globe.

Teaming up to deliver South Africa’s Supertugs, well-known maritime author, Brian Ingpen and Master Mariner, Dave Murray, have achieved in publishing what many attempted with efforts to save the tugs from being scrapped at the end of very productive lives.

Speaking at the launch held at the Royal Cape Yacht Club in Cape Town last night, Murray explained how numerous plans to find a viable retirement for the John Ross (SA Amandla) had failed. “We tried everything we could think of,” he told guests admitting his disappointment at the outcome.

His own retirement, however, provided a unique opportunity to create a permanent resting place for the tugs on the pages of photo-filled glossy hardcover masterpiece. “Brian just phoned me and asked if I was ready to write the book,” he recalls confessing that he had forgotten an impromptu conversation at an industry function years before.

It was a phone call that kickstarted an epic journey to collate stories and photos, and to curate content that would do justice to the lifespan of the tugs that helped power South Africa’s maritime reputation on the global stage.

Discussing the process to publish the book, the duo admitted to some initial differences on how to approach the content. While Murray was driven by the desire to commemorate the John Ross and the Wolraad Woltemade, Ingpen saw the opportunity to provide a wider context that included some of the old steam tugs as well as the foreign tugs based in the country.

Ultimately, Ingpen’s more inclusive vision prevailed, and the result is an immersive read that contextualises the South African coastline within marine salvage and introduces readers to incidents and responses with an appealing mix of text and visuals.

It is not a book that could have been completed if the tugs were still active. It is a book that pays tribute to the full lifespan of the supertugs and ends with a final chapter simply titled: Gone.

Describing the inevitable end to the SA Amandla (John Ross), the last of the two tugs to make that final journey having been sold to XLinter for scrapping; highlights the focus on dignity and emotion right to the end.

Describing Ingpen as “unflappable,” Murray says that working with the noted author was unlike anything he had experienced during his career in the fast-paced world of salvage. For Ingpen, the opportunity to collaborate on another gem of maritime publishing resonated with his own ambitions to see more of South Africa’s maritime history become documented.

“Computer data can be deleted, data compromised, but books last forever,” he enthused during the launch function as he highlighted the joy of being able to page through a physical book while relaxing “with something cold” or watching the rugby.

Asked about his choice for the cover image, Ingpen admits that with so many wonderful images it was a daunting task. But, once he remembered a painting of the Wolraad Woltemade, he says that task became infinitely simpler. “It was an obvious choice. There was no other option in my mind,” he said.

The cover is glorious. It shows the tug bashing through rough seas in tumultuous weather. It’s a reprint of a painting by maritime artist, Peter Bilas commissioned more than 40 years ago for the princely sum of R500.

Joining the function last night, Bilas spoke about the commission fondly as he described growing up in landlocked Austria before relocating to South Africa where his love for ships and artistic talent naturally evolved into a successful career.

As the project stretched on and printing quotes had to be continuously updated to accommodate the mushrooming content, it was Captain Nicholas Sloane who helped push it over the finish line. Determined to see the book roll off the printing press, Sloane committed to providing the finance required and nudged the authors to finish their passion project.

PHOTO: Brian Ingpen, Dave Murray and Peter Bilas at the official launch of South Africa’s Supertugs at the Royal Cape Yacht Club. (© Maritime Review Africa)

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