South Africa’s Supertugs

Name: South Africa’s Supertugs
Start: 2026-01-21T19:00:00+02:00
Location: 36 Belper Road, Wynberg, Cape Town, South Africa

Schedule

Wed, 21 Jan, 2026 at 07:00 pm

UTC+02:00

Location

36 Belper Road, Wynberg, Cape Town, South Africa | Cape Town, WC

What to expect
The authors will share a high level overview of the book South African Supertugs briefly covering the history of tugs in South Africa, setting the stage for the dramatic arrival of the iconic supertugs “John Ross” and “Wolraad Woltemede.” These engineering marvels are not just vessels—they’re legends, famed for their daring rescues and unyielding power against treacherous seas. The authors will delve deeper into riveting, real-life accounts of these legend’s most memorable missions, recounting how these supertugs braved ferocious storms and towering waves to save imperilled ships, safeguard precious cargo, and etch their names into maritime history.

About the authors:
Dave Murray spent 10 years at sea with Safmarine from 1980 to 1990 and during that time he spent 3 years on the salvage tugs “John Ross” and “Wolraad Woltemade”, reaching the rank of Chief Officer. After having come ashore on completion of his studies for his Masters Certificate, he was seconded to the then Pentow Marine (now AMSOL), the South Africa specialist marine services Company and Owners of the “Wolraad Woltemade” and “John Ross”. After having commercially and operationally managed (as the Business Unit Manager for the Offshore Marine Services Business Unit) the two big tugs “Wolraad Woltemade” and “John Ross” (amongst others) for over 28 years, he retired in 2024 and finally had the time to write the book about the tugs that played such a big part in his life, having spent over 31 years working on them and with them. It was a long awaited dream to write the book and who best to work with him than the co-author Brian Ingpen – probably the doyen of South African maritime authors, having written 12 books to date.

Brian Ingpen is a respected maritime educator, accomplished author, and seasoned freelance journalist. Widely regarded as the doyen of South African maritime journalism, he has written 12 highly acclaimed books on maritime history and industry. Throughout his distinguished career, Brian has played a pivotal role in preserving and sharing the stories of South Africa’s maritime heritage.
Now retired from formal teaching, Brian continues to be an active voice in the field, delivering engaging talks to organisations and communities with an interest in maritime affairs. He also contributes a popular weekly column, Port Pourri, to the Cape Times, offering insightful commentary and historical reflections on the shipping world.