Opinion

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


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

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.
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...

Login or register to write comments and join the discussion!
LV
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]
0

Read 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.

0

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.

0

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

0

Video Brazilian Training Ship Cisne Branco Strikes Bridge in Ecuador

published on 26 October 2021

This episode of What's Going On With Shipping examines the videos showing the Brazilian training ship Cisne Branco striking a bridge in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

0

Article Tero Vainio has been appointed Finnpilot technology manager (CTO)

published on 12 December 2020

Tero Vainio has been appointed Finnpilot's Chief Technology Officer CTO). He will take up his position on 4 January 2021.

0

Article Unofficial internal company timeline report of the ship accident in Busan 6 April 2020

by Marine-Pilots.com - published on 14 April 2020

"ONE - MSQ Accident News No. 31": ONE operated 13,900 TEU vessel “M/V Milano Bridge” has collided with gantry cranes and another vessel while approaching berth at PNC #8. This was the first berthing for phasing-in after Dry Dock.

0

Article NHV Group Wins Contract Extension With Dutch Maritime Pilots’ Association

published on 18 March 2024

Helicopter services company NHV Group has won a contract extension with the Dutch Maritime Pilot’s Association (Nederlandse loodsencorporatie) to support maritime pilotage services in the Netherlands.

0

Article IMO opens discussion on SOLAS Convention to amend pilot boarding arrangements

published on 28 November 2022

According to information from Simon Pelletier, President of IMPA, it was resolved at the IMO Maritime Safety Committee 106 on 08.11.2022 to open up the SOLAS Convention for amendment in respect of pilot boarding arrangements.

0

Video Kapal Pilot Pelabuhan Gilimas Lombok

published on 11 April 2022

Pilot boat adalah kapal yang memandu kapal besar masuk kedalam pelabuhan melalui alur yang berbahaya dan ramai sampai sandar di dermaga. Selain itu Kapal pandu (pilot boat) adalah kapal/ boat yang digunakan untuk mengantar/ menjemput petugas pandu yang akan memandu/selesai melakukan pemanduan.
#kapal #pilotboat #lombok

0

Video Pilot boat (in Germany?)

published on 20 March 2022

0