Drones are often used to provide safer solutions to old problems. In shipping, tugboats and crew position themselves in front of and close to the assisted vessel in order to grab a heaving line by hand. By doing so, the tug and crew position themselves in the danger zone, close and even under the bow of a vessel. A minor flaw in the operation can result in major injuries of the deck crew and/or damage to the tug and the assisted vessel. One company developed a drone base solution. This design uses a drone to connect the towline to an assisted vessel, drastically improving the safety margin for tug operations.