did you mean 510m length?
bowthrusters are good for locks, special if it is done with one tug only. That tug is then
tied in the center lead aft. Then the vessel goes with dead slow ahead (sometimes also slow ahead and also depending how strong the tug is) then the tug goes half ahead, opposite than the ship. This lets virtually steer the ship into the locks with good rudder and reaction capabilities at a very controlled speed. The connection point between the ship and the tug
(center lead aft) acts virtually as a pivot point. Having in such a situation a bowthruster
is better than a 2ng tug fwd. The tug fwd as mentioned before can,t do much and it renders
close to useless that more one goes into the locks. I,d take anytime over a tug fwd into a lock a bowthruster instead.
Of course for the new PanCan , new tugs are builded too, more powerfull for the big ships to come so one can rest assured that the contracts between them and the ACP will be based
that vessel will have to use tug assistance fwd and aft already for the sake of "safety"
Sometimes it is,,sometimes it,s not. Depending a lot how good the pilots are aquainted with maneuvering into locks with tugs. Having the tugs is not always needed, but for one point it is,,something goes wrong, everyone, and the the media first, will shout why pilot/capt
did not use tugs, therefore most probably tugs will be mandatory in the new canal.