We ran a lenghty practical session of transitioning from a long tow to a barge tow out in open water in 20kt winds. Lots of approaches from various angles and wind directions, etc.
Used both MR1 and MR2, swapping between them part way through to compare. Lots of lessons learned there with the difference between the ease of using the jet vs the outboards.
Links:
[1] http://coastguardmana.org.nz/users/mark-presling