Pilot and Marine Engineer

A recorded webinar on the UiT Autonomous Ship Program, including recent research activities by Lokukaluge Prasad Perera. The presentation can be downloaded from : https://www.slideshare.net/LokukalugePrasadPere/uit-autonomous-ship-program-including-recent-research-activities

Article and pictures by Captain W J M Hargreaves, Retired Southampton Pilot

Container ship SHAHRAZ and bulk carrier SAMUDRA SAKTI I are reported to run aground in Singapore Strait south of St John Island at around 1900 UTC May 10, close to each other, while proceeding in the same direction, probably trying to avoid collision. As of 0700 UTC May 11, both ships remain in the same positions, coordinates don’t change. SHAHRAZ is en route from Port Klang to Yangshan China, SAMUDRA SAKTI I is en route from Belawan to Bayah, southwest Java.

In April, 25 percent fewer ships on the German Kiel Canal (NOK) - and things could get even worse. It seems that the exemplary situation at the NOK certainly affects many other channels in the world in a similar way.

The Associated Federal Pilots in Metairie, La., has ordered a Chesapeake-class pilot boat from Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding. The pilots’ first launch, built by the Massachusetts-based shipyard, is scheduled for delivery in July 2021.

I have had the privilege of being at quite a number of meetings, conferences and seminars, sometimes representing The Netherlands, but mostly representing the Netherlands pilots. I have had many discussions about the role of pilots and pilot organisations, which lead me to write an article “What is the added value of pilotage?”, published in the February 2020 issue of Seaways.

Long and irregular shifts, unforeseeable operations and high responsibility are still prominent in the job of a pilot and pose high psycho-physical demands.

When the bow thruster has been in operation for a while, pilots often notice that the ship not only turns but also gains speed. But why is this? Opinion by Capt. Hugues Cauvier.

The Port of Seville has new maritime navigation aids. #PPUs (Portable Pilot Units) offer pilots accurate real-time data on the position, course and speed of a vessel on the Eurovía del Guadalquivir. This information is very useful for pilotage and for docking and undocking manoeuvres.

#PPUs have two elements: on the one hand, autonomous, wireless sensors that the pilot places on the ailerons of the vessel’s bridge to obtain data about the vessel’s movement; and on the other hand, a...