Opinion

Conversation with Brett Monthie, a Tampa Bay harbor pilot


by Tampy Bay Times - published on 13 January 2021 434 -

This article was written by Philip Morgan and was already published by "Tampa Bay Times" on 26. December 2020.
Photo by Brett Monthie.


Link to the original and full article below.

When your mission is guiding ships through congested waters

Conversation with Brett Monthie a Tampa Bay harbor pilot graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy.

After spending years at sea, Brett Monthie had to chart the channels in Tampa Bay from memory in order to become a Tampa Bay harbor pilot. And then he spent 30 months in training. He’s one of 13 full pilots and six deputy pilots in the Tampa Bay Pilots Association. They guide the ships safely through the bay.

It’s an exacting job, and a dangerous one, considering Monthie has to hop from the pilot boat to the rope ladder hanging down the side of a ship – or from the ladder to the pilot boat – all while both vessels are traveling at about 10 knots. Monthie loves the work.

“It’s a blast. I mean, I have to pinch myself every day,’' he said.

The 36-year-old harbor pilot, a graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy, talked with the Tampa Bay Times about his job.

Climbing a rope ladder 30 or more feet up to and down from the main deck of a ship has to be a harrowing experience.
Harrowing I guess is a good word to describe it, because we’ve lost – not Tampa personally – but we’ve lost, out of the 1,200 pilots in the U.S., we’ve had two in the last eight months and three in the last year that have had incidents on ladders (and) passed away.

Does it mostly happen when a pilot falls from the ladder and is caught between the ship and pilot boat?
Yes, typically that’s the case.… Most of the time our boats, once we get on the ladder, they peel away from the ship to avoid that.

Climbing a rope ladder isn’t easy, is it?
No, it’s not easy. Usually going up, to me, is easier. You just look straight up and you go. Coming down is actually a little trickier. You really want to have three points of contact on that (ladder) at all times if you can. And the farther down you go, it almost becomes like a pendulum.… You’re coming off the side of the ship and almost swinging with every step.
Editor's note:
Opinion pieces reflect the personal opinion of individual authors. They do not allow any conclusions to be drawn about a prevailing opinion in the respective editorial department. Opinion pieces might be deliberately formulated in a pronounced or even explicit tone and may contain biased arguments. They might be intended to polarise and stimulate discussion. In this, they deliberately differ from the factual articles you typically find on this platform, written to present facts and opinions in as balanced a manner as possible.
What's your opinion on this?
Login or register to write comments and join the discussion!
Read more...

Article Improve comfort, safety and maneuvering with Humphree.

published on 24 September 2020

By using Humphree's trim and stabilization system, you will reduce resistance, fuel consumption and environmental impact. It also means that the best possible performance and stability is achieved.

Humphree USA reports that it has won numerous orders this year for its automatic stabilization technology in the North American pilot boat segment, with nine new boats either delivered or under construction for eight different pilot associations.

0

Article An overview of the different spellings for a Marine Pilot

by Marine-Pilots.com - published on 1 December 2019

Please use the menu item "Feedback" if you have another spelling or country-specific name for us.

0

Video How to Launch a Pilot Boat–Behind the Scenes at Point Hope Shipyard

published on 20 June 2025

Welcome to Point Hope Shipyard in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. In this video, I follow the float off of the Pacific Navigator, a hardworking pilot boat that serves the Port of Victoria and Ogden Point. We watch as the vessel is pulled along the marine railway, rotated on the turntable, and positioned onto the cradle. Once secured, the cradle lowers to float-off depth, and the Pacific Navigator fires up her engines for a short harbour spin before returning to duty. Some segments,...

0

Article Interview with Marine Pilot Esil Abibula: Crossing the Northwest Passage

by Marine-Pilots.com - published on 18 December 2019

The Northwest Passage is the approximately 5780 km long sea route that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean north of the American continent. It crosses the Arctic Ocean and its marginal seas as well as the associated sea lanes through the Canadian-Arctic archipel ago.

Roald Amundsen made his first complete successfully crossing in 1903-1906 via the route discovered by John Rae through the James Ross Strait, Rae Strait and Simpson Strait on the small ship Gjøa.

2

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.

3

Video Maiden voyage of HMM Algeciras #1-Qingdao

published on 5 June 2020

1st 24,000 TEU vessel, 1st Containers loaded, 1st Port call Qingdao

0

Video Honningsvåg Pilot Recovery

published on 16 June 2023

Leaving Honningsvåg Norway aboard the Nieuw Statendam cruise ship in May 2023. Video shows the Pilot leaving the ship.

0

Video Airkeel stabilizer test on a Prozero boat from Tuco Marine

published on 14 March 2022

In July 2021 DACOMA launched a new EU project: AMCOSTAR. Amcostar is a Eurostars/Eureka Network funded Eurostars project on Adaptive Control of Airkeel vessel stabilizer systems. The consortium partners, DACOMA ApS in Svendborg (DK), Syddansk Universitet - University of Southern Denmark in Sønderborg (DK), and Automasjon & Data AS in Stavanger (NOR) and Tuco Marine ApS - ProZero Workboats (DK) in Faaborg, will optimize, test, and demonstrate an adaptively controlled Airkeel stabilizer on a...

0

Article American Pilots’ Association Names Diamond as Executive Director

published on 17 December 2020

The American Pilots’ Association (APA) announced Clayton L. “Clay” Diamond will assume the duties of Executive Director and General Counsel effective January 1. Diamond succeeds Paul Kirchner, who has been APA Executive Director-General Counsel since 1992.

0

Video New pilot boats christened at Port of Gdańsk

published on 26 October 2022

Gdańsk-Pilot, which provides pilotage services in the ports of Gdańsk, Elbląg and on the Vistula Lagoon, has officially christened its two newest pilot boats Pilot 23 and Pilot 24.
Read more: https://www.marinepoland.com/new-pilot-boats-christened-at-port-of-gdansk-video-1656

0