The "Bugsier-, Reederei- und Bergungsgesellschaft mbh & Co. KG" changed the propulsion systems on their newbuilt tugs starting in 1991. After years of building Schottel tractor tugs they built BUGSIER 15, their first Voith-Schneider tractor. The bullard pull stayed unchanged at 31 tonnes (t). When the Dutch tug owners Smit and Kotug arrived in Hamburg they brought with them tugs which had bollard pulls approx. 50% higher, the local tugs. Bugsier reacted immediately and ordered two new tugs with 50 ton bollard pull. The first of these tugs was put into service in 1997. Three tugs were built over the years to the same design for Bugsier::

The shipyard Hitzler-Werft in Lauenburg/Elbe was awarded with the design and building contract for BUGSIER 19 and BUGSIER 20 in 1996. BUGSIER 19 was commissioned on 11. August 1997, and BUGSIER 20 about three month later on 14. November 1997. BUGSIER 21 was ordered later and delivered in 2000. In the meantime Hitzler-Werft built two more tugs using the same hull and propulsion equipment: STELLA for T&S Transport und Service and WILHELMSHAVEN for URAG. Main difference to the Bugsier tugs is the installed fire fighting equipment to FiFi1 standard. The superstructure, Voith Schneider units, nozzle plate, and skeg were added at the Norderwerft shipyard in Hamburg. Reason the shallow shipping channel on the river Elbe at low water with only 2.30 m depth between Geesthacht and Lauenburg as well as the air draught of only 5.90 m at the bridges across the Elbe in Hamburg at low tide.

General: BUGSIER 19 -21 are Voith-Schneider tractor tugs with their propulsion units beneath the bow. A nozzle plate was installed to protect the propeller blades in case of a grounding. A large skeg was placed at the stern to provide better course stability. Both are used in docking as supports. Each tug is driven by two Deutz-MWM diesel motors type SBV 9 M 628 providing 2,509 brake horsepower (bhp) at 925 rpm. The engines are coupled to two Voith-Schneider units type 28GII/210 with a diameter of 2.80 m and five blades of 2.10 m length. The tugs have a maximum speed of 13 kts and a bollard pull of 50 ton. They have a bunker capacity of 157 t.

Maindeck:

A hydraulically driven combined anchor and mooring winch is located on the foredeck. It was provided by Brattvaag and has two mooring drums and two spill heads. The winch has a pulling power of 13 ton and a holding power of 48 ton. The deck house is located behind the anchor winch. It contains the crew cabins (two single, two double berth), mess, galley and sanitary space. Its roof is the boat deck. A hydraulically driven Brattvaag towing winch is installed on the afterdeck behind the deck house. The winch is of the double-drum waterfall type. The winch carries 750 m steel wire for long distance towing on the upper drum and 150 m steel wire for habour use on the lower drum. Both have a diameter of 42 mm. The tugs carry a spare wire of 750 m length. Behind the towing winch stands a large fairlead. The 50 ton Midgard towing hook is fixed to this fairlead. A second, smaller fairlead is located half way between the first fairlead and the stern bulwark. A tow beam is integrated into the top of the smaller fairlead on BUGSIER 19 and 20. It is missing on BUGSIER 21. Additionally a vertical spill is located on the afterdeck of BUGSIER 19 and 20. BUGSIER 21 carries a tugger winch instead. Both have a pulling power of 6.6 t. The stern bulwark has a slit in the ship's center line which makes anchor handling possible although the anchors can't be taken aboard. A HAP BTLi 10-2 crane with 0.70 t safe working load (swl.) at 10.00 m reach is situated on a column at the starboard end of the deck house.

Boat deck:

The wheelhouse is located on the aft part of the boat deck. A man over board boat (m.o.b.-boat) with ist launching crane is placed between the wheelhouse and a breakwater. A life raft is located on each side at the aft end of the boat deck.

Bridge deck:

It is located about 1.40 m higher than the boat deck on BUGSIER 19 and 20. A technical compartment is placed in-between. On BUGSIER 21 the bridge deck is located a full deck higher to provide room for the master's cabin on the boat deck. Control consoles are placed on the fore and aft bulkheads of the wheelhouse. The navigation and communication equipment contains Global Maritime Distress and Safety System to Area 2 standard (GMDSS A2), Inmersat M satellite mobile phone, 3 x VHF, gyro compass, echosounder, Satnav Differential GPS (DGPS), two radar systems, weather fax and Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) mobile phone.

Topdeck:

It is the roof of the wheelhouse and carries the mast as well as two searchlights.

The three tugs work as harbour assistance tugs in Hamburg and in the case of BUGSIER 20 nowadays in Bremerhaven. They operate in offshore jobs too.