400m Container ship runs aground off Wangerooge (Germany)

High water is necessary for salvage - 1 p.m. is the earliest possible start for the next salvage attempt of the 400-metre-long vessel.

The 400-metre-long container giant "Mumbai Maersk" has run aground in the North Sea tidal flats and must be towed free. The Central Command for Maritime Emergencies was basing its hopes on the high tide at around two o'clock in the morning of Friday night. The night before, an attempt to tow the freighter free had failed. The high water on Thursday afternoon was also too low. In addition, more powerful tugs are still needed.

Live AIS video stream of the salvage

The use of historical navigation data by ports is essential for safety investigations globally. In the digital age, a wealth of pilotage data is available, aiding operations and training but potentially causing stress if misused.

Fewer vessels in voyage mean less pilotage and this means less income for many Pilots. Not every Pilot is an employee and many pilots are self-employed and organised in a brotherhood per example. They are earning only money if they are piloting a vessel. No vessel – no money.

On the occasion of the Maritime Safety Week (July 4-10), UK MAIB’s inspector Bill Evans refers to the issue of unsafe pilot ladders, a concern that has been regularly voiced by the industry.

Marine Pilot, Reshma Nilofer Visalakshi MNI broke the bias and started her career as a trainee pilot in 2011 and she has never looked back.

This article was first published in January 2022: The safety aspects of the maritime autonomy solutions need to be addressed. In order to develop maritime autonomy in the first stage in Finland, the Sea4Value / Fairway (54VF) research program has been established to create automated remote fairway pilotage features in the near future.

For the safety of maritime pilots

I took a break from fixing a Chevrolet to spot Grays Harbor pilot boat Vega out in the harbor during sea trials after a top end rebuild on one of her mains. Impressive watching these guys messing around and confidently performing maneuvers. We now return to your regularly scheduled car content.