Thursday 5th March – The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has issued brand new guidance for the global shipping industry to help combat the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). The comprehensive 22-page document has been produced in collaboration with prominent international bodies.

Information about Corona, COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2.

What events and meetings for Maritime Pilots are scheduled? Which events are canceled or postponed?
An overview on Marine-Pilots.com:

Researchers have observed an unexpectedly high frequency of towering waves in the German North Sea, particularly near the island of Norderney. These extreme waves pose a significant risk to maritime infrastructure, including ships, offshore wind farms, and research platforms.

One of the biggest ships in the world, 23,000+ TEU container ship MSC MIA, reportedly contacted gantry crane while leaving container terminal at Valencia.

TOKYO-Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd., together with its two group companies and the following consortium partners, today announced the completion of a successful sea trial of autonomous sailing using a large commercial coastal car ferry, in a voyage from the Tomakomai Port, Hokkaido Prefecture to the Oarai Port, Ibaraki Prefecture.

Tug power has increased considerably over recent decades. Today, some ship handling tugs have a bollard pull of more than 100 tons. In addition, high tug power can be installed in ever smaller compact hulls.

Short demonstration highlighting key features of the VR Marine Pilot training simulation LWA Solutions have delivered for the Ports of Auckland.
Editors Note (4th July 2020):
This video shows the fantastic possibilities of virtual reality technology. Wonderful demo by Ports of Auckland. In respect for doing this amazing experiment. If somebody knows more about this or other interesting similar projects please leave a comment below and help us to complete information about virtual reality...

“The current plight many seafarers are facing, unable to crew change or return home, is being described by many voices within the maritime community as the next humanitarian crisis.”

This video has already been published for the first time in 2020. Please also note the second, more recent video in the appendix. This physical ladder simulator was designed for crew training in the ladder arrangement and for all the users especially for pilots.