Pilot Boat STEINBURG from Brunsbüttel, Germany

KITTIWAKE ( MMSI 232008570) is a Pilot and currently sailing under the flag of United Kingdom (UK) Here she is speeding down the River this morning.

Vessel name: Polaris ; Year built: 2012 ; Flag: Netherlands ; Homeport: Rotterdam Length: 81.2m X 13.3m ; GRT: 2501 ; Callsign: PBZN ; MMSI:245142000 ; IMO: 9496915 Type: Special Vessel / Pilot Ship A "Pilot Ship / Pilot Vessel" is a "special type" of ship in which it accommodates a certain and limited Marine Pilots (Sea, River, Harbor Pilots), it also carries small boats/crafts that are used to tender services to and from the Pilot ship. In a Pilot Vessel, the Pilots can take their time...

Approche d'un navire gros colis par mauvais temps en 2014. Pilotone Troenn de Lorient

Build year: 2015, Lenght overall: 12.0m, Beam overall: 3.0m, Draft (full load): 0.95, Engine: 1 Volvo Penta D6 330hk

This is one common method to board the pilot. And here it is a special boat which is very fast with new technology

The "Brazos Pilot" makes its debut
Brazos Pilot Association President Captain Billy Burns said a good pilot boat is essential to saving lives.
That is the expectation of their newest boat, the "Brazos Pilot": a vessel tailored to fit the job and provide their pilot association with performance dependability and the safety systems integration to fulfill their maritime mission.
Read more here,... http://markets.chroniclejournal.com/chroniclejournal/news/read/37679691

A pilot boat is a specialized vessel that is used to transport pilots to and from ships that are entering or leaving port. Pilot boats are typically small, fast vessels that are designed to operate in a variety of weather conditions and sea states.

For 174 years, the San Francisco Bar Pilots have been safely navigating the world’s largest ships through some of North America’s most challenging waterways.