Towage

in civil law, an agreement dealing with the transportation over water of a ship or other floating object by a tugboat or other means of towing.

According to a towing agreement, one party—the owner of the towing vessel—commits himself to towing, for compensation, the boat or floating object belonging to the other party over an agreed-upon distance, for a set period of time, or during the execution of a set maneuver.

In the USSR towage on the seas is regulated by the Code of Merchant-marine Navigation. Towage on internal waterways is governed by the Regulations on Domestic Water Transportation of the USSR. A towage agreement also covers matters relating to auxiliary operations taking place within a harbor, such as the towing of ships into and out of port, their transposition, and so forth.

If a towed vessel or object is damaged during towage, the owner of the towing vessel is liable for property damage and must make compensation; he may escape this liability if he proves that the damage was not his fault. If the damage is incurred at sea under icy conditions, the owner of the towed vessel or object must prove that the owner of the towing vessel was at fault.

The legislation of most capitalist states treats towage as a variety of contract in hiring work.