The first volume of Pilots concentrated on the stories of American and British schooners. Volume 2 enters what for many will be a less familiar world... that of the remarkable pilot brigs and small undecked craft. Schooners range from the Hiates of Portugal to the beautiful station boats of the North Sea ports of Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, and France. The development of the schooners themselves into such highly sophisticated craft is traced from regional predecessors. Volume 2 of Pilots is not just about boats — the sailors also have their role. The book follows highly difficult manoeuvres under sail, dangerous transfers at sea, the routine of everyday life, and the perils of heavy weather including ships wrecked and lives saved. All aspects of a spectacular and previously unpublished maritime tradition are considered, not forgetting the competitions between pilots to be the best crews.
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Video Presenting OpenBridge Design System at DSD2020 in Oslo
published on 6 May 2020
I recently presented the OpenBridge design system at the Design System Day 2020 in Oslo. I talked about what OpenBridge is, how it differs from other design systems and where we are heading.
The conference was moved online due to the Corona virus, so I had to record the presentation using my mobile phone, and get Jon Olav from the lab to add the slides. So - apologize for the home quality of the presentation, but I hope you enjoy learning more about our work!
Since we launched the free...
Article The Risks of Remote Pilotage in an Intelligent Fairway - preliminary considerations
published on 28 July 2021
Video You Won’t Believe How A Pilot Boat Is Hauled Out for Refit
published on 24 September 2025
The Pacific Guardian pilot boat is first seen in Victoria Harbour near Ogden Point before making her way to Point Hope Maritime Shipyard for a full refit. This video captures the entire move process, from the cradle lowering into the harbour, to the careful docking of the vessel, to her move across the turntable and onto the spur line. Some of the footage has been sped up, since the cradle lowering and lifting are slow, deliberate operations where every movement is checked and rechecked....
Video Disney Wonder - pilot boat approaches to drop off the Mississippi River boat pilot
published on 23 February 2022
Eerie fog envelops the Disney Wonder as the cruise ship enters the mouth of the Mississippi River from the Gulf of Mexico. A pilot boat approaches to drop off the Mississippi River boat pilot.
The eerie fog made it look like the ship somehow transported to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.
No sign of Captain Jack Sparrow, but he has to be hiding somewhere. Maybe he's at the Crown & Fin Pub having a tot of Navy Strength Pusser's Rum.
Video taken from deck 10 aft near the Palo restaurant.
Video A containership collided with a Pilot boat inside taipei harbour
published on 12 March 2020
Opinion Heroes or Hostages?
by Ivana-Maria Carrioni-Burnett - published on 1 October 2020
“Definitions": ‘Hero’: person who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities OR person greatly admired for their exceptional qualities or achievements
‘Hostage’: person seized or held for the fulfilment of a condition OR person who is illegally held prisoner until certain demands are met by others
Article 3DPortGuard Docking Aid
published on 24 August 2021
Australian technology provider Frontier Automation has released a new vessel tracking system that can be used as a docking aid tool by pilots. As for all Frontier Automation control systems, it uses 3D machine vision to automatically detect and track in real time shipping vessels within range of a berth by providing information on critical distances to mooring infrastructure, on vessel speed and angle, and on vessel movement directions and orientations.
