For scale, the “small” tugboat on the near side of the tanker here is over 100′ loa.  

That means … there’s a lot of crude oil capacity in the vessel she’s  assisting.  however, to complete the scale comparison, this tanker is 816′ loa.  The largest tanker currently operating–Euronav Oceania–is 1246′ loa, and the largest ever–Knock Nevis et al.–was 1504′ and that’s just looking at the length.  Imagine how these tugboats would look alongside either of these tugboats!

The tug on the far side is 100′ x 40′.   Also, keep in mind that when zoomed in on a subject several miles away, distortion happens, refracted light.

The line connecting tugboat and ship is incredibly strong.

To this photographer’s delight, the KVK twists and turns, complicating navigation but allowing photography of first one side and then the other side of whatever traffic there. 

 

In low angle light of dawn, the shadow image replicates whatever creates it without distortion. 

All photos, WVD. 

As for the vessel SFL Trinity, you can learn more here. And why “S F L,” here is the expansion of that abbreviation.