Article

#DangerousLadders on Facebook

by Marine-Pilots.com - published on 10 September 2019 - 441 -

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About this group

This group is to help spread the campaign to improve the safety of pilot ladders and pilot transfer arrangements.

Every survey says approx. 20% of arrangements are non-compliant. If they're non-compliant, they're not safe so they shouldn't be used!

Let's reduce the 20% by engagement, education and enforcement.

Join #DangerousLadders group on Facebook

Chris Young on LinkedIn

Kevin Vallance on LinkedIn

What's your opinion on this?

Article Combinations Ladders: "1,000 combinations around" (by Arie Palmers)

by Arie Palmers, Netherlands - published on 13 July 2020

Before you, you see my third article on pilot boarding arrangements. After my two previous articles
(‘1000 ways to secure a pilot ladder’ and ‘1000 ladders around’, I have received a lot of feedback and
also questions to get deeper into the matter of combinations and embarkation platforms.

Article Jacobsen Pilot Service and Los Angeles Pilot Station publish notice to all ships

published on 15 August 2020

Jacobsen Pilot Service and Los Angeles Pilot Station published a notice to all ships to inspect pilot ladders before the pilot boards.

Reason is an incident happened at the port of long beach in July 2020. Pilot ladder rope broke while the pilot was on the ladder - luckily the pilot was able to hold on.

Article Origins of the IMPA pilot mark

by Kevin Vallance deep sea pilot and author - published on 24 October 2019

There are many things in both our everyday and professional lives which we take for granted and never question the origins of, an example of this might be the IMPA recommended ‘pilot mark or pilot line’, which is sometimes seen on the side of vessels indicating where a vessels freeboard exceeds 9 metres.

Article Unconfirmed reports say a pilot boat collided with the container ship GODSPEED in Taipei, Taiwan.

by Marine-Pilots.com - published on 9 March 2020

Apparently there were two crew members on board, but no pilot. One of crew was recovered and declared dead, another one, skipper of the boat, is missing.

Article IMPA Safety Campaign Results 2022 published

published on 15 December 2022

IMPA has just released the results of the annual IMPA safety campaign, please have a look at the document.

Article Pilot fell into water in Keelung Port, Taiwan. Ship’s responsible.

published on 7 November 2022

Pilot ladder broke when pilot was boarding general cargo ship CREST CRANE at night Nov 5 at Keelung Port, Taiwan, to take the ship out.

Opinion A deliberately sabotaged Pilot Ladder

by Arie Palmers - published on 16 March 2022

A court sentenced a captain to a total of 30 months imprisonment: It had been proven beyond doubt that the side ropes had been manipulated to make a ship inspection more difficult or to prevent it.

Video UK Ship Pilot Dies | Required Boarding Arrangements for Pilots | How a Pilot Boards | Am Pilot Assoc

published on 19 January 2023

UK Ship Pilot Dies | Required Boarding Arrangements for Pilots | How a Pilot Boards | Am Pilot Assoc

Video North Sea Pilot Boat in choppy Seas

published on 24 November 2025

Early morning in the North Sea, three-metre swells, freezing winds, and a burst of hail hammering the deck - perfect conditions for another day with the Port of Tyne pilotage.
In this video we take two pilots out to the Aquamarine Ace onboard the pilot boat Collingwood, pushing through seriously choppy water on a bitter, stormy morning. You’ll see the full run out to sea, the swell hitting the bow, the hailstorm rolling in, and the precision teamwork that gets the pilots safely across in...