Here’s a nice video of the recent sea trials with ‘South Esk’, a new Interceptor 48 pilot boat for the Montrose Port Authority in Scotland. It was fairly rough during our sea trial days with a fair bit of wind, and although it was touch and go flying the drone, we managed to capture some wonderful video of her and Ederra 7 at the entrance to Cork Harbour in a gale.

Improvements to pilots’ situation awareness (SA) in maritime navigation are critical to reducing human errors, which have caused 75% to 96% of marine accidents over the last few years.

Finnpilot Pilotage Ltd has reinforced its long-standing partnership with Marine Alutech by placing an order for another Watercat 160 Pilot vessel. This latest acquisition marks the sixth vessel of the new 160 Pilot Series for the Finnish Pilotage organisation’s fleet.

Since October, pilots from Kiel have been unable to use their offshore transfer station. Long detours and limited rest periods have complicated their workdays, with no end in sight.

Qualified pilots are usually employed by the local port or maritime administration, and provide their services to ships for a fee, calculated in relation to the ship’s tonnage, draught or other criteria.

USCG Station Yaquina Bay in Newport, OR
Surf Training from 12/19-1/20

In this issue:
- Feauture Article - Threat an Error Managment
- Presidents Report
- Pilot Boat Special Reviews

Great video from Argentina. But a backpack is not recommended in combination with a life vest.

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.

Two new locks were introduced in 2009 for training in the new Panama lock conditions with or without tug(s). This video shows the famous "piston effect" when entering the lock at an impressive speed of 10 knots with a high blockage factor.
Port Revel provides shiphandling training using manned models for maritime pilots, masters and officers: http://www.portrevel.com