The Marine Pilots' Community

The British Tugowners Association (BTA) in collaboration with the UK Chamber of Shipping has launched its new Pilots’ Pocket Guide and Checklist.

Pilot-in-the-Loop simulations embedded to a high-resolution maritime environment.

Bermuda’s Department of Marine and Port Services has returned to Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corp., for a new Chesapeake-class pilot boat. The launch will be built to Lloyd’s Register class, with delivery scheduled for early 2023. The Somerset, Mass., shipyard built a 61-foot pilot/rescue vessel for the port service in 2011.

If you fancy seeing what it’s like aboard during some rough weather sea trials, here’s a pretty cool little video of our Interceptor 48 pilot built for the Port of Sines. Some really great Arial drone footage and interesting POV (Point of view) with narration from aboard her in 5-6m seas and in 50kt winds 25 miles offshore.
How difficult is to land a drone back down on the boat in 5-6m swells and 45-50kt wind gusts? Pretty damn difficult as it turns out! Sometimes we fail as you’ll see at...

A pilot boat caught fire near the entrance of the Port of Recife, on Saturday morning (15 January). The fire would have started around 11h. In a note, the port authority explained that the two people who were in the pilot boat were rescued by another pilot boat "Serrambi".
The causes of the accident had not yet been identified, but would be investigated.

John Willis is checking out the facilities, history and the future of Hart Marine in Mornington as well as Yaringa Boat Harbour.

This video shows an introduction on the Pull-out Test-Manoeuvre and describes the procedure how to steer through this simple manoeuvre: Turning circle and then put the rudder amidships. The final rate of turn allows to identify stable and unstable conditions.

By the end of this year, our sea pilots are set to have undertaken a record number of pilotage acts. The total number is set to exceed 10,700, with almost 99% of the acts completed without delay.

According to Captain’s visual observance and overheard radio talks, bulk carrier OLIVE BAY anchor chain entangled with the chain of another ship, on Jan 8 or 9, in Yangtze estuary between Chongming island and Taicang, Shanghai area.

This guidance is intended to remind seafarers and companies of the vital importance of adhering to the rules and established procedures concerning the provision of safe boarding arrangements for pilots.

All five crew of pilot vessel POLLUX PILOT VESSEL, Dutch Pilotage Service, came up with positive test after self-testing on 9 January 2022.