Opinion

New article by The Standard Club: "Remote pilotage - perspective and risks to consider"

by Marine-Pilots.com - published on 8 June 2020 - 454 -

Show comment section |

Article and picture by The Standard Club - Published on 5th June 2020 on their website

Author:
John Dolan
Deputy Director of Loss Prevention
john.dolan@ctplc.com
+44 20 7522 7531

Author Capt. John Dolan says: "We would not recommend remote pilotage when the ship is berthing or unberthing. These operations require the presence and advice of an experienced pilot who has extensive local knowledge and who is usually assisted by port tugs."

The shipping industry has always been characterised by uncertain and volatile markets, stricter regulations and rapid evolution of technology.
However, these conditions are fluctuating more aggressively in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are seeing unprecedented impacts on the movement of cargoes, domestically and internationally, as the world adjusts to the new ‘normal’ of port delays, restrictions on ship movements and, in some cases, the reduced availability of support personnel to assist the vessels’ movements.

In this article, Captain John Dolan, Deputy Director of Loss Prevention, acknowledges the risk factors that should be carefully considered before the practise of remote pilotage is undertaken, and shares club concerns and recommendations.

Original article on The Standard Club website (PDF)

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.

Join the conversation...

Louis Vest Houston Pilots, USA

on 12 June 2020, 05:58 UTC

Little by little we are developing the technology to do this. Probably within the next few decades a pilot could get a call at home, make some coffee and step into a specially equipped room that has a 5G or better internet connection and several panoramic screens like a small ship simulator. Appearing on those screens will be video input from the ship which will arrive along with radar, ais, ECDIS, gyro, DGPS, rpm and other data. A headset will allow him/her to talk to the captain using a remote microphone to talk to VTS and other traffic over VHF as necessary. The only real difference from being actually on board the ship will be looking at a bank of video screens instead of a bank of windows. That is not an insurmountable difficulty. Pilots already navigate in shut out visibility using only their radar and DGPS displays. At night or in reduced visibility the bank of screens could even show a photographic quality computer image of the channel generated using the ships exact position and heading. Microsoft Flight Simulator has been showing detailed images of real cities and landscapes since the 1980s. In Houston pilotage when turning a large car carrier or container ship in a tight basin it was actually easier to turn the ship using the God's eye view on my laptop (while constantly confirming distances with the tugs and mates) rather than try to guess where the bow and stern were.

We took the first steps down this road when we required Bluetooth transmission from the ship's AIS to the pilot's carry-on laptop. Radar and other data should join the service available to the pilot's onboard laptop and eventually to a remote computer.

All that will get you damn close to the dock, but at this point I'd want to be out on the bridge wing with the wind in my hair for the last bit of docking. I was never comfortable even docking in an enclosed bridge wing. I suppose with enough practice I could dock with a computer. It would take some sophisticated gear to measure distance off and closing rate but that equipment already exists too.

I can't see any substitution for an apprenticeship that is served on board ships. Learn there first then graduate in baby steps with intermediate qualifications to full remote pilot certification.

[show more]

Article Wärtsilä simulation technology creating an essential testing environment for smart marine solutions

by Wärtsilä Corporation - published on 26 March 2020

The technology group Wärtsilä has delivered a navigation simulator and specific mathematical models to the Satakunta University of Applied Sciences (SAMK) in the city of Rauma, Finland. These will be used as an essential enabler in the Intelligent Shipping Technology Test Laboratory (ISTLAB) project, which aims at creating a technically precise testing environment for remotely controlled, autonomous vessels. The contract with Wärtsilä was signed in the 4th quarter of 2019.

Article "Pilotage Escort" among Covid-19 measures introduced at Peterhead Port

by Marine-Pilots.com - published on 17 April 2020

According to "Buchan Observer": Peterhead Port Authority has introduced remote pilotage for selected vessels entering the harbour as part of a package of measures designed to reduce the risk of staff and users contracting the Covid-19 virus.

Article The Risks of Remote Pilotage in an Intelligent Fairway - preliminary considerations

by Marine-Pilots.com - published on 1 July 2020

Conference Paper (PDF) by ResearchGate: International Seminar on Safety and Security of Autonomous Vessels (ISSAV) and European STAMP Workshop and Conference (ESWC) 2019, At Helsinki, Finland

Article IMPA Safety Campaign 2025 starts on 16th of May!

by IMPA - International Maritime Pilots’ Association - published on 15 May 2025

The IMPA Safety Campaign will take place from 16th to 30th May 2025. We encourage all maritime pilots to take part, as your contribution is essential to the success of the campaign!

Article Overview of documents concerning the COVID-19 pandemic by EMPA

published on 11 November 2020

The European Maritime Pilots' Association (EMPA) has compiled a very good overview of current (and also country-specific) documents concerning the COVID-19 pandemic on its website. This page is updated regularly.

Article 4th Customer Day at NAUTITEC: A Day Full Of Inspirational Speeches And Lectures With The Opportunity To Network

published on 9 June 2022

More than 90 guests from the european maritime cluster attended the 4th NAUTITEC Customer Day in Leer on 2nd June 2022, which was hosted by NAUTITEC and supported by the partners of the maritime campus, Faculty of maritime science Sciences Emden/Leer.

Video IMPA receives the 2022 SAFETY4SEA Initiative Award

by SAFETY4SEA - published on 20 October 2022

International Maritime Pilots' Association (IMPA) received the 2022 SAFETY4SEA Initiative Award for conducting annually its ‘Pilot Ladder Safety Campaign’ with the objective of reporting pilots’ experiences of ladders and boarding equipment to the IMO and the wider shipping community. Other distinguished short-listed nominees of this category were: Inmarsat, International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA), Safetytech Accelerator and Seafarers Hospital Society. We are honored to be...

Article The new Pilot Vessel 'New York'

published on 14 April 2022

When it came time to replace their 50-year-old station vessel New York, the Sandy Hook Pilots Association thought long and hard, weighing their options to determine the best possible solution.

Video Bermuda pilot boat with NCL Escape

published on 6 December 2022

Pilot disembarking the cruise ship

Article New Pilot Boat DPC Tolka Christened

by Marine-Pilots.com - published on 4 February 2020

Dublin Port Company has officially christened its new Pilot Boat, DPC Tolka, in a short ceremony held at Poolbeg Yacht Club. The state-of-the art vessel arrived in Dublin Port in December.