Deployment of tugboats

I do not intend to reply to the question posed by Lawrence Dalli in the heading of his letter What Use For New Tug? (February 6), and this is my first and last response to the issues he has raised. I have no doubt that Mr Dalli is extremely knowledgeable in maritime matters and appears to be most interested in the activities, investments and ship towage movements of the fleet of Tug Malta. He is perfectly entitled to his own opinion on which tugboat is suitable for the company's respective operations, but I do question the following issues:

(i) Is it his business (or anyone else's for that matter, except possibly the shareholders) for him to query if a capital investment, made by a private company, is a "waste of money" or otherwise?

(ii) Where has he obtained such detailed information on what he calls "salvage" operations occurring during the last two months or so, including when the emergency first occurred and the timings when the tug left the harbour to the second? Some of this detail is not even available to the company's management and its operational staff.

Meanwhile, Tug Malta shall continue to deploy its fleet of tugs as it deems appropriate and in the best interests of its customers, the company's commitments and as determined, when necessary, by the Authority concerned.