Article

Murphy's law on pilot boarding - Arie Palmers


by Arie Palmers - published on 20 July 2021 525 -

1. Any knot that can come loose will do so at the most inconvenient moment

2. Slipknots are called like that for a reason

3. The last bolt of 8 holding the gangway platform up, will let go when a pilot stands on it

4. Gangway platforms that were severely stuck, will suddenly give way when a pilot steps on it

5. Rain always starts 5 minutes before the pilot transfer

6. Wind will start blowing 5 minutes prior to ETA pilot station

7. If there is a way to rig a pilotladder wrong, someone will do so eventually

8. The day you forget your helmet a twistlock will fall down from the vessel you’re attempting to board

9. Automatic lifejackets will inflate automatically at the moment you absolutely don’t want them to

10. From all ways to rig a ladder, the wrong way is the easiest

11. Whenever several things can go wrong, the one that causes most damage will

12. Every solution breeds new problems

13. It’s impossible to make a foolproof pilot ladder securing device because fools are so ingenious

14. You cannot legislate for stupidity

15. Probability of a bow thruster failure is inversely proportionally to distance with the quay

16. If everything seems to be going well, you’re overlooking something

17. The chances of the pilot launch scratching the paint of a vessel is directly proportional to the cost and date of the last drydock paintjob

18. A shortcut to the bridge is always the longest distance between 2 points

19. When you eliminate 4 ways on which a pilotladder can be rigged wrong, a fifth way you’re unprepared for will promptly develop

20. You’re always against the current until you’re almost there

21. Wind is not your friend

22. A safe lee is non existing

23. When there is a chance of getting wet during transfer, you will

24. Pilot launches are exponentially stronger than ankles

MURPHY WAS AN OPTIMIST
sea, river, harbor pilot (westerschelde, oosterschelde and adjacent coastal area) active marine pilot - Loodswezen - NEDERLANDSE LOODSENCORPORATIE


50 years old, without a proper birthday party this year ( thank you corona..) 12 years as a pilot 2 years offshore/tugboats 8 years with juvenile delinquents mv Koningin Juliana, mv Smal Agt 8 years Navy: minehunter, explosive ordnance clearance 2 years army: artillery sergeant

Join the conversation...

Login or register to write comments and join the discussion!
Captain Michal Sinius Poland
on 1 August 2021, 06:21 UTC

Item 16 summs up it all!
0

RC
Ricardo Caballero Vega Panama Canal Pilots Association, Panama
on 20 July 2021, 16:09 UTC

I could not agree more!
0

Read more...

Article Combinations Ladders: "1,000 combinations around" (by Arie Palmers)

by Arie Palmers, Netherlands - published on 13 July 2020

Before you, you see my third article on pilot boarding arrangements. After my two previous articles
(‘1000 ways to secure a pilot ladder’ and ‘1000 ladders around’, I have received a lot of feedback and
also questions to get deeper into the matter of combinations and embarkation platforms.

2

Article Pilots: deaths from unsafe pilot ladders and incompetent crew

published on 22 December 2021

The international pilots association Impa is sounding the alarm about unsafe pilot ladders. According to the pilots, a worldwide survey has shown that access to the ship via the pilot's ladder often does not comply with the regulations.

0

Video Webinar Dangerous Ladders - Capt. Arie Palmers

published on 7 April 2022

Marine Pilot Arie Palmers, who works in the Netherlands, will make a presentation on the irregularities found in the embarkation and disembarkation ladders of ships. After suffering two accidents in 2018, Arie became an inspector of the problems and has been an active voice in search of corrections with shipping companies, manufacturers, certifiers and entities that deal with the theme. According to him, the day-to-day practice shows that more than 50% of the means of access to vessels are...

0

Video Remotely operated vessels? Seaowl makes it real

published on 30 June 2021

The remote control of ships is in development across the maritime industry and the technology enabling it presents opportunities to improve operations and safety, while reducing costs. In this film, we look at the successful SeaOwl Remotely Operated Services at Sea (ROSS) project, with commentary from some of the many people involved in its development.
Learn more: https://marlink.com/remoteops/

0

Video 2019 Marine Notice regarding pilot transfer arrangements

published on 3 June 2020

This video explains what is a Marine Notice and discusses the recently issued (2019) marine notice regarding pilot transfer arrangements.
Mariners appearing for oral examinations will benefit from watching this video.

0

Video “Harbor Pilot” 1960s Los Angeles Harbor Freighters & Ships Education Film

published on 25 June 2020

Harbor Pilot is a short film from 1967 that gives viewers a brief look at what a harbor pilot is and does. The film opens with footage of a sailboat sailing at sea, followed by a shot of a rocky coastline (01:10) and then an aerial view of a modern harbor — the Port of Los Angeles. A large freight ship, SS Gemstone, is out at sea. A harbor pilot stands on land at the Port of Los Angeles, looking out over the harbor. He walks into the pilot station at the entrance to the harbor to check the...

0

Video Columbia River Bar Pilots History

published on 2 January 2023

There are approximately 160 Columbia River Pilots, which are organized into two associations. The Columbia River Pilots Association (CRPA) is made up of 80 pilots, while the Washington Pilots Association (WPA) consists of 80 pilots.

1

Video Captain David Gelinas presents Penobscot Bay Piloting

published on 8 March 2022

Recorded from a live Zoom program on January 27th, 2022 Captain David Gelinas will discuss Maine's State Pilotage System and how it is practiced on Penobscot Bay. The talk will cover State Law requirements for foreign flag ships, the role of the State Pilot, Training, and local practices. Check out more videos from the Penobscot Bay & River Pilots Association here: https://www.penbaypilots.com/video-gallery/ Captain Gelinas has been a State Pilot for Penobscot Bay and River since 1992. He...

0

Article Mapping Safe Maritime Pilotage: Understanding Complexity in Maritime Pilotage

by University of York - published on 9 February 2026

University of York: Here, Dr Kate Preston explains why we need to fully understand the complexity maritime pilotage before we can integrate technology like autonomy.

0

Article Pilot Boats, a Designer and Builders Perspective

by Safehaven Marine - published on 6 August 2021

Safehaven Marine build a range of vessels for many different operational roles such as patrol, survey, crew transfer to name a few, but what makes Safehaven unique is that we specialize in pilot boats, with 80% of our production dedicated to just this area, and have supplied over 50 pilot craft all around the world over the last 17 years.

0