Opinion

A few words about pilot safety and Merry Christmas


by Frank Diegel - published on 23 December 2021 204 -

photo by harbourpilot.es

Things are moving

Pilot safety is always close to our hearts at Marine-Pilots.com. The job of pilots is more dangerous than many others, as they are always exposed to all the elements of this world at all times, while ensuring the safe passage of ships. My personal impression is that a lot has changed in terms of safety in the last two years. Non-compliance with current legislation that directly affects the safety of pilots is now no longer tolerated by many stakeholders. Something is happening. And that is a good thing.

Knowledge protects lives

The rules for correctly rigging a pilot ladder may seem complicated, and often there is simply a lack of knowledge on how to do it properly. Ongoing education and training is important here. This applies not only to the persons responsible for ensuring that a pilot ladder is used in the correct condition and in accordance with the rules, but especially to the pilot himself.

If the pilot himself is not fully aware of the applicable rules, and cannot accurately judge for himself when the ladder arrangement does not comply with the regulations, then he cannot protect himself and his colleagues. He cannot educate others either. If the pilot knowingly or unknowingly accepts non-compliant ladders, then he is not doing his own safety in particular or the safety of all pilots any favours.

The pilot himself is his own worst enemy!


My thanks to the tireless enlighteners

Today I would like to thank in particular those people who unselfishly invest their private time again and again to make the pilot's environment safer. In doing so, you persistently focus on information and education. Again and again. Thank you for always giving your information, articles and videos to Marine-Pilots.com for dissemination to our community. Your work is worth sharing and seeing.

This is especially true for the initiators of the #DangerousLadders group on Facebook, but also for the website www.pilotladdersafety.com, which collects all the information and rules on pilot ladder safety and presents them clearly. But I would also like to thank the many others who are committed to greater safety. I don't want to mention individual names here today, because my list can only be incomplete. But I think you know which people I mean. Thank you all!
Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all followers of Marine-Pilots.com.

Thank you for your support, and for growing our great community again this year.


Christmas greetings
Frank
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.
Maritime software and hardware development, digitalisation

Join the conversation...

Login or register to write comments and join the discussion!
Herman Broers Loodswezen Rotterdam - Rijnmond, Netherlands
on 24 December 2021, 08:17 UTC

Frank, your own contributions to the awareness aboput the profession and the safety of our colleagues cannot be forgotten as well. Keep up the good work. Frohe Weihnachten und ein glückliches neues Jahr!
1

Read more...

Article The magnetic north pole migration - What a Pilot should know

by Marine-Pilots.com - published on 22 February 2019

The Arctic magnetic pole does not move anymore. It runs, faster and faster. In recent years, even faster than expected. Therefore, geo-researchers have now had an unscheduled change to their world model and adjust their calculations, so that navigation with compass and other navigation aids such as a Pilot Plug, used by pilots around the world, continue to work.

0

Article The difficulty of finding marine pilot-specific information on the Internet

by Marine-Pilots.com - published on 4 November 2019

Who is a pilot and how do I find information about this great job on the Internet?

2

Article Marine-Pilots.com celebrates its first anniversary these days!

by Frank Diegel - published on 26 October 2020

International Marine pilot platform for information and knowledge exchange an acute necessity.

3

Article Costa Diadema transits Suez under remote pilotage

by Marine-Pilots.com - published on 3 April 2020

On Monday, March 23, 2020, Admiral Osama Rabie announced the successful transit of the Italian passenger ship COSTA DIADEMA in the northbound convoy through the new Suez Canal, coming from the United Arab Emirates heading to Italy. Special measures were applied, as 65 Coronavirus cases were reported on board which required piloting the vessel remotely through pilotage team boarded on two escorting tugs in full coordination with the transit control offices and navigation monitoring stations in a first of its kind scenario in the history of the Suez Canal.

0

Video Maritime Voices: Clint Winegar, Presiding Officer, Houston Pilots

published on 10 October 2025

Clint Winegar, Presiding Officer, Houston Pilots, discusses the organization in the round, explaining how the Houston operation remains one of three in the country that still utilizes station boat.

0

Article Rio de Janeiro Pilots have a new president

by Marine-Pilots.com - published on 6 April 2020

Everton Schmidt assumed the position with the commitment to maintain the activities during the new coronavirus pandemic.

0

Video Hamburg-Süd 10.000-TEU container ship breached hull in ferry pontoon contact in Brazil

published on 27 June 2021

Container ship CAP SAN ANTONIO contacted landing pontoon of Santos – Guaruja commute ferry in the afternoon Jun 20, while leaving Santos, Brazil. The ship dragged pontoon for some time, and sustained portside hull breach above waterline, probably in ballast tank area. CAP SAN ANTONIO was taken to outer anchorage and anchored, for investigation, survey, probably for some temporary repairs. She’s bound for Paranagua.

2

Opinion Scientific Fact: The ‘traditional’ understanding of the ship’s pivot point is wrong!

by Tim Cummins, Harbour Pilot, Portsmouth International Port - published on 9 July 2020

In fact, the pivot point that we “see” is a trick of the eye, it looks like the ship is rotating about this point but in fact it is elsewhere, a point that you cannot see.

Video PSA Marine - Straits Piloting and Navigational Audit

published on 4 July 2019

In Singapore, only PSA Marine's Straits Pilots met the high standard certification criteria set by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and have been awarded with the Straits Pilot Certificate. Hence, only PSA Marine's Straits Pilots are certified to provide Voluntary Pilotage Services in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore.
Only PSA Marine can provide a seamless transit to/from the rendezvous point and any destinations in Singapore.
Since 2001, PSA Marine has been providing...

1

Video Las Palmas Practicos

published on 25 April 2022

#workatsea #youtubeshorts #buhayseaman
Copyright: None of my videos, or part of any video, can be used without written permission.

0