On 12 April 2021 there was the very rare sight of a ship in Bristol City Docks. The South Wales-based tug Irishman arrived for drydocking in the Albion Drydock, last used for the rebuilding of the Medway Queen in 2013. The tug made the passage up the Avon, passing Balmoral (inset) on her way. The 188gt Irishman was built by Imamura Shipbuilding at Kure in Japan. Owned by Hessle-based SMS Towage, she was suitably named for the launching of that company’s towage business in Belfast in 2013. She has a bollard pull of 40 tonnes.
Dunball Wharf on the River Parrett in Somerset closed over a decade ago for commercial trade other than imports of sand from the Bristol Channel. However it sees occasional use handling heavy items for the electricity industry. On 9 April 2021 the tugs Afon Wen (131gt, ex-AK Bars) and Afon Lligwy (92gt) handled barge Wilcarry 501, which delivered a transformer for onward delivery to a new substation at Stanford. The new substation will connect high-voltage energy from Hinkley Point C power station, as well as reinforcing the security of energy supply in the South West region.