Pilot fell overboard during a storm off the coast of Borkum (Germany) and was rescued

Does the growth of ships ever have limits? Perhaps less in shipbuilding than in the handling of the ships during piloting.

On August 28, the world's largest container ship completed its first crossing in the Suez Canal. Due to its huge size and this is the first voyage of the ship, it has received extra attention and special treatment from the Suez Canal Authority (SCA).

State regulators on Friday banned cargo ship pilots from using personal cellphones on Maryland waters. The Maryland Board of Pilots, which oversees cargo ship pilots, approved a rule change 10 months after, and in direct response to, the Ever Forward's weekslong grounding in the Chesapeake Bay. Instead of leading the team on the bridge of the Ever Forward, the pilot was on his phone for an hour, texting, sending emails and taking screenshots before running aground and getting stuck for 45...

The Maryland Board of Pilots has decided to enact a rule change that forbids on-duty pilots from using their phones.

Going down the accommodation ladder with neither lifevest nor safety line must have been based on similar, past, successful operations, which may have never been challenged on board. This ‘slippage’ in safety is a pernicious and common phenomenon.

Despite clear regulations and regular maintenance requirements, safety often falls by the wayside, as the current example of a bulk carrier vividly demonstrates.

On 6 November 2017, the fully laden, mini cape-size dry bulk carrier Orient Centaur was transiting the South Channel, Weipa, Queensland, outbound under the conduct of harbour pilots as part of a trial introduction of this size of ship to the port. While in the South Channel, the ship’s main engine shut down due to a loss of water from a cracked engine cooling component, and propulsion was lost. Shortly after, the ship grounded on the northern batter of the channel. The stern then slowly...

Project results in detail. Efficient port flow using the Port Activity App in the ports of Gävle and Rauma. Sharing time stamps making planning easier for all involved actors. Efficient ship Flow by using a Route distribution service helping pilots better plan meeting points in narrow fairways, saving some fuel but more importantly increasing safety.

The US Coast Guard has now issued "Marine Safety Information Bulletin 21-20" which repeats the recommendation for pilot transfer agreements.