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 ‘Smart Ports. Piers of the future' brings together six large ports

by Marine-Pilots.com - published on 25 November 2019

For the first time, the ports of Antwerp, Barcelona, Hamburg, Los Angeles, Montreal and Rotterdam come together to showcase their most advanced digital transformation and sustainability projects at their dedicated ‘Smart Ports’ exhibit

Article TRENZ Introduces SIRIUS+: The Next Generation PPU with Enhanced Performance

by TRENZ GmbH - published on 15 May 2025

TRENZ, a leading manufacturer from Germany, is expanding its product lineup with the launch of SIRIUS+, a high-performance Portable Pilot Unit (PPU). As an evolution of the widely recognized SIRIUS model, the new device features cutting-edge technology designed for maximum precision and reliability, particularly for use on Ultra Large Container Vessels (ULCVs).

Article Pilots: deaths from unsafe pilot ladders and incompetent crew

published on 22 December 2021

The international pilots association Impa is sounding the alarm about unsafe pilot ladders. According to the pilots, a worldwide survey has shown that access to the ship via the pilot's ladder often does not comply with the regulations.

Article Australian pilot receives IMO commendation for exceptional bravery at sea

published on 17 September 2021

In December 2020, Australian Pilot Captain Ritesh Bhamaria was expertly piloting oil tanker MT Godam through the Torres Strait in adverse weather conditions when he and the vessel crew sighted a distant hand waving for help in the rough sea.

Article Argentina: Pilot died of heart attack on board

published on 3 March 2021

Pilot died of heart attack on board of tanker JC BAZAN, berthed in San Lorenzo, Argentina, Parana river, on Mar 2.

Article Gladding-Hearn Delivers New Launch to Virginia Pilots

by Marine-Pilots.com - published on 15 June 2020

The Virginia Pilot Association has taken delivery of a Chesapeake Class MK II launch from Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, its ninth pilot boat built by the Somerset, Mass., shipyard since 1983.

Since the Chesapeake Class pilot boat was introduced by the Somerset, Mass., shipyard in 2003, 22 boats have been delivered to 11 pilot associations throughout the United States.

Video Belo Horizonte Bulk Carrier of AO Shipping arrives to Phu My Port - Baria Serece, Vietnam

published on 26 November 2021

Short video of the arrival of the bulk carrier BELO HORIZONTE. Shooting a shipping documentation and industrial photography for AO SHIPPING HaAMBURG in BARIA SERECE, PHU MY PORT in Vietnam. Activities and the unloading of Soya by cranes for a freight transport film. Director, dop/cameraman, drone operator, production: Peter Scheid. We thank the Baria Serece management in Phu My, Vietnam for their great support to realize this shooting. SHOWREEL INDUSTRY, VIETNAM FACTORY & MACHINES: REEL 1....