U.S. Coastgard has published an update of their Recommendation for Pilot Transfer Arrangements in latest Marine Safety Information Bulletins (MSIB).

"Recent deaths of maritime pilots while embarking commercial vessels highlight the risks of operating in an
unforgiving maritime environment. To ensure the safety of all personnel boarding a vessel at sea, the Coast
Guard reminds vessel owners and operators of the requirements contained in the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Chapter V, Regulation 23 and strongly recommends that owners and operators follow the recommendations within IMO Resolution A.1045(27) – Pilot Transfer Arrangements. "

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.

As the sun comes up on the last day of 2021, the last shipping day for Brisbane Marine Pilots, our pilots out on the water serving the Port of Brisbane Pty Ltd, as they have done every day since 1st January 1989.

Efforts to free the giant container ship are continuing after the 400m-long vessel became stuck in the Suez canal. Local authorities attempted to dislodge the 220,000 ton vessel from the banks of the canal using tug boats, but the megaship remains stuck more than one day after it ran aground.

The latest summary from PTR Holland on the subject of pilot ladders. Here is the most important information on maintenance, use and replacement & insepection record book.

In this movie the efficiency of two different pod operation strategies is compared: With azimuth propeller ships the Pods can be used in two ways to control the speed, e.g. for speed reduction: 1. by adjusting the engine orders, e.g. by reducing the RPMs to get lower speed - this means to drive the ship in the same conventional way as for twin screw vessels, 2. by turning both pods either in- or outward (TOE-IN or TOE-OUT) to reduce the forward thrust and therefore reducing the speed – the...

Editors Note:
Safety is different
One comment on YouTube on this video:
"No hard hats, no Hi-Viz clothing (in case pilot falls in) the one at 5:16 has not even got a life jacket - absolute cowboys!"

The Pacific Pilotage Authority of Canada (PPA) has taken delivery of a new aluminium pilot boat from Ocean Pacific Marine of Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

Harbour Services Australia was the client for this ultra-efficient pilot vessel, Dongara Marine's second Berkeley Class pilot boat to operate from the port of Fremantle. Delivered in June 2019 it joined Fremantle Pilots’ Berkeley, which had already been operating with great success in the Western Australian port since 2015. Purpose-designed to maximise overall operability and the safety and comfort of pilots and crew even in demanding sea conditions, the Berkeley Class provides: • High open...