Last month, FAIRPLAY-35 and BALTIC met in the Baltic Sea for a joint towing exercise — a planned training operation that sits at the heart of our Coast Protection role.
Two vessels, one #strongconnection
Running a towing exercise with two of your own vessels isn’t just logistically straightforward. It’s an opportunity that lets you train both ends of a tow connection at the same time, under real sea conditions, with crews who understand what the other side is dealing with.
Both FAIRPLAY-35 and BALTIC alternated between the role of ETV (emergency towing vessel) and simulated casualty. That rotation matters: every team worked both sides of the connection, building a rounded understanding of what a real emergency tow demands – not just the mechanics of their own position, but the coordination the whole operation depends on.
What the crews trained
The bridge teams focused on approach and positioning manoeuvres – the critical phase where speed, angle, and communication determine whether a tow connection gets made safely. On deck, crews practiced establishing the line connection and ran checks on all relevant towing equipment: winches, quick release systems, and PLT line-throwing appliances.
This kind of equipment drill isn’t just routine. In a real casualty situation, every piece of that kit has to work and the crew operating it has to know exactly what to do without hesitation.
Coast Protection: always ready
FAIRPLAY’s Coast Protection role means our vessels and crews are on standby to respond when vessels are in distress in the Baltic region. Exercises like this one keep that readiness sharp. They close the gap between knowing what to do and being able to do it under pressure.
