Study: "An evaluation of fatigue factors in maritime pilot work scheduling"

Maritime pilots work in an irregular deployment system (rotation system) with unpredictable work assignments under high levels of physical and mental stress. Fatigue or chronic diseases, e.g. coronary heart disease, peptic ulcers or gastritis can occur as a consequence.

Study from 2015: Psychological stressors, in addition to the physical demands associated with the role (e.g., reduced sleep, boarding, and departing vessels), may over time have a damaging effect on pilots' physical and mental health.

This Standard for Health Assessment of Marine Pilots (NSW) represents a significant step in
the improvement of shipping safety in NSW. Introduced in October 2009, this Standard is the result of extensive

In one of the busiest and most critical waterways in the United States, timing and safety are everything. Along the Sabine-Neches Waterway in Port Arthur, Texas, the Sabine Pilots are redefining maritime pilot transfer by taking to the air. This video follows the Sabine Pilots and HeliService USA as they use Leonardo AW169 helicopters to move pilots safely and efficiently between ships—reducing risk, improving responsiveness, and keeping America’s energy gateway moving. From offshore hoists...

Arrivée au Havre de la pilotine Hirondelle de la Manche

Drone visuals of a bridge passage of a remotely controlled barge on the Plassendale Canal (Ostend). The vessel is controlled by a captain in the Seafar Control Center in Antwerp (100km away). All operations are approved by the Flemish Waterway Authorities. Want to know more? www.seafar.eu info@seafar.eu

Over the course of 4 days this August, I was afforded the opportunity and privilege of riding with the Savannah Bar Pilots for an article I was writing for a major maritime magazine. The pilots are given the responsibility of boarding a vessel in the Atlantic Ocean and safely navigating the vessel up the Tybee Road 9 (a name for the shipping lane that leads into the Savannah River), into the Savannah River, and into the Port of Savannah. The same is done in reverse when a ship is outbound...

Navigation in constrained waters is a cognitively challenging task for seafarers requiring the combined assessment of various elements to perform it with safety. This paper presents a approach to make sense of the dynamic, uncertain,and complex work domain of sea pilotage.

When it came time to replace their 50-year-old station vessel New York, the Sandy Hook Pilots Association thought long and hard, weighing their options to determine the best possible solution.

This study presents a novel decision support process for a pilot dispatching problem in the St. Lawrence River. It integrates a comprehensive set of time-based performance measures, including working time, waiting time, and skill level differences, to optimize fairness and operational efficiency in pilot dispatching.