photo and article by Luis Vale, Portugal
Pilot transfer by pilot ladder is always a big risk
The most dangerous part of a harbour/maritime pilot’s job (from the personal point of view) is the transfer from the pilot boat to the ship and from the ship to the pilot boat, as various incidents and accidents involving pilots falling from the pilot ladder into the pilot boat or to the water, due to weather, ship's motion or failure of the ladder clearly show. The pilot’s personal protective equipment is therefore of paramount importance on the prevention of serious injury should an accident occur. Even though we still see, here and there, pilots wearing what could be described as their Sunday's best (no PPE whatsoever), on most of the reputable pilot organizations it's now mandatory the use of at least an automatically inflatable lifejacket or a full weather jacket (different types and brands) which incorporates all the SOLAS requirements for lifejackets as well as harness, strobe light and even a personal locator beacon (depending on model). Safety shoes or boots and non-slippery gloves are usually also standard equipment used by the prudent pilot, even if not mandatory.
All this equipment is quite important for the personal safety of the pilot but lacks the ability of providing adequate protection should a pilot suffer a more than probable head injury on a fall accident.
The Safety Management System we implemented when I was in charge of a Pilotage Department requires for a constant formal safety assessment and an ongoing review of critical pilotage procedures. Due to previous incidents with pilots while transferring to or from the ship, the risk of head injury was identified and corrective / preventive action taken. Appropriate safety helmets (light, comfortable and with neutral buoyancy, which minimize the risk of neck and spine injury for water impact) were purchased, also taking into account previous experiences on this subject on some US and North European ports.
Since the beginning of that year, pilots at the port I was working on have been using those safety helmets on a regular basis as a complement to the other standard protective equipment.
“Why Do Pilots Not Wear Helmets?”
published by Capt. W. A. Worth on Professional Mariner, March 2008, shows that this issue is an ongoing concern, but not very often dealt with:
“The recent spate of accidents, have shown that often pilots are rendered unconscious when they fall from a pilot ladder and are unable to take action to save themselves. Working on a pilot boat puts both the pilot and the deckhand often 30 feet below the deck level of the ship that they are working, anything dropped from the deck from shackle pins to the pilot ladder itself can cause serious head injury.
Here on the Columbia River Bar, helmets have become standard safety gear. From the beginning of the helicopter transfer system, they were mandated by the helicopter companies. Simple kayak helmets offered the protection needed for being hoisted from the helicopter. They have become routine, and are now used in both helicopter and boat transfers. There have been several incidents in which a head injury has been prevented.
Why NOT?
The big question is Why Not? This is the easiest and cheapest way to reduce injury, and only vanity and tradition seem to be reasons to not wear some type of head protection. All of the float coats, epirb's, and waterproof radios, fail if the pilot is unable to help themselves due to a head injury…."
This is the type of eye opener text that effectively changes the question regarding the usage of this extra safety equipment from "Why?" to "Why Not?".
Since we implemented this simple but effective safety measure on that port, I got all sorts of feedback, mostly good but plenty of negative ones as well. Curiously, the negative feedback came mostly from actual pilots from other ports. That came as a surprise for me, since there is hardly any shipping, maritime or offshore industry nowadays that will not require some sort of head protection.
One of the worse arguments I heard was the notoriously dangerous phrase "we've always done it like that"… Well at some point something had to change, and we did it!
Obviously every port is different and there are usually very particular characteristics that make certain procedures fit for a certain area but totally inadequate for another. It is up to the pilotage organization to identify hazards based on local weather conditions and, through a thorough risk assessment, come up with mitigation measures.
Maritime pilots not only supply pilotage and shiphandling skills to ships but also provide a public service by contributing to the overall safety of maritime traffic and by ensuring the protection of the environment. In my opinion this should be complemented with high standards of personal safety, beginning with routine usage of full PPE, including suitable helmets.
I would like to know how pilots and other professional mariners feel about this (controversial?) subject.
The use of helmets... or “Why Do Pilots Not Wear Helmets?”
by Marine Pilot Luis Vale, Portugal - published on 20 August 2019
Read more...
Article Pilots and ship´s Captains
by Marine Pilot Luis Vale, Portugal - published on 23 August 2019
Lately there has been a considerable increase in opinions of seagoing ship´s masters complaining about pilotage services, expressed whether as LinkedIn articles and comments or in some reputable industry magazines.
Article Shiphandling at shipyards, never a dull moment...
by Marine Pilot Luis Vale, Portugal - published on 20 September 2019
Drydocking or undocking is always a difficult task, particularly with a “dead” vessel (no power/propulsion) and the wind blowing on the ship's side.
Article Danish Butter Cookies...
by Marine Pilot Luis Vale, Portugal - published on 17 July 2019
Why “Danish Butter Cookies” are a part of the standard navigational equipment…
Video St Johns Bar Pilot Association
A collection of action from the St Johns Bar Pilot Association
In the early 1800′s as the commercial ports along the St Johns River began to develop, a select group of brave and skilled seafarers would row to sea to meet arriving cargo sailing ships. These daring individuals would use their extensive local knowledge to safely guide the sailing ships across the treacherous sand bars that guarded the river entrance. This was the origin of the St. Johns Bar Pilots. Initially it was a bit of a free-for-all as competition was keen among these pilots to be first to “call for the ship” and claim the right to pilot the ships in and out of port.
In 1890, an enterprising pilot, Captain George Spaulding, purchased a former America’s Cup contender, the schooner “META”. Understandably very fast, Captain Spaulding and the META were soon winning the majority of “Calls” for the St. Johns River. At the urging of the other pilots, Captain Spaulding sold shares in the META and created the St. Johns Bar Pilot Association in the fall of 1890. The META became the first official St. Johns Pilot Boat.
The daily assigned pilot would board META at dawn and take station outside the mouth of the river. After a day of working on the river, the pilots would return to the river mouth just before sunset. In 1931, a Richfield Oil Tanker was the first vessel to navigate the river at night, thereby ushering in a new era of commercial service for arrivals and departures.
The first real pilot station was a pair of wooden buildings built on a low spit of land that formed Ribault Bay. That land is now under the carrier piers at Naval Station Mayport, and Ribault Bay is now known as the Naval basin. The station was moved to its current location with the construction of the Navy base in the 1940s.
For more than 120 years, the traditions of safety and excellence in service have been passed from one Pilot to the next. All of the modern St. Johns Bar Pilots hold unlimited endorsements as First Class Pilot and have extensive leadership experience from their prior service at sea. Pilots are available at anytime, day or night, and often board and pilot vessels in the most frightening conditions of wind, seas, rain and fog. They are among the most intensely trained and experienced mariners in the world. The Pilot’s dedication to serve the marine transportation interests of the port of Jacksonville are in keeping with their mantra:
“providing pilotage for vessels utilizing the navigable waters of the St. Johns River in order that resources, the environment, life and property may be protected to the fullest extent possible”
Video Ship berthing in Durban, South Africa. Pilot comes via Helicopter.
Found on YouTube. Created by The Anumanify.
This is a video about a ship berthing in Durban, a beautiful city in South Africa. I made a musical timelapse and wanted to share this with you.
Hope you enjoy the video and please do leave feedback, and also like, share & subscribe.
The music used in the video is - 'Dreams Pt. II by Lost Sky'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7kF4...
Video Crazy Pilot Boarding when the vessel is rolling heavy
What a dangerous situation. Never seen that before.
Article Request from the American Pilots’ Association to State Pilotage Authorities Regarding Pilot Safety
by Marine-Pilots.com - published on 20 February 2020
The American Pilots’ Association has sent a letter to state pilotage authorities across the United States on behalf of approximately 1,200 American ship pilots to improve safety pilot safety following the death of a New York pilot in December.
Video Harbor Pilot Disembarks a Containership
A Virginia Pilot Association harbor pilot disembarks the U.S. flag containership Maersk Atlanta before the ship sails north along the U.S. East Coast.
Featured in this video is the Virginia Pilots' brand new pilot boat, Hampton Roads.
Video History: River Pilot (1970-1975). River Thames, London.
Found on YouTube, Created by "British Pathé"
Unissued / Unused material -
River Thames, London.
Various shots of a River Pilot on boat on the River Thames. The pilots are organising a group of tugs moving along the river. They are turning an large ship around in a wide part of the river. Shots of the pilot as he comes on board the ship 'Sugar Produce'. Over shoulder shots of River Pilot on boat coming towards large ship. He climbs up ladder onto ship.
FILM ID:3298.03
A VIDEO FROM BRITISH PATHÉ. EXPLORE OUR ONLINE CHANNEL, BRITISH PATHÉ TV. IT'S FULL OF GREAT DOCUMENTARIES, FASCINATING INTERVIEWS, AND CLASSIC MOVIES. http://www.britishpathe.tv/
Video Hwalein Marine Pilot got accident while boarding
Another accident was reported on YouTube on Feb. 3rd 2020 by akif pradias.
"This video shown how's hwalein pilot got accident while boarding the vessel, its teach us to be more carefully during pilot transfer..."
We do not put videos of accidents on our website out of voyeurism. We would like to point out that the work of a pilot is always dangerous, especially when embarking and disembarking!
These incidents should be a warning. It can hit anyone out of carelessness.
Dear pilots, please always be mindful and always think of your safety!