EXPERIENCED CHIEF OFFICER

vlissingen 2017

Awesome pictures with a drone. Prince Rupert, Canada

Like many seafarers I have long been a keen follower of The Nautical Institute’s MARS programme, and along with many other members I listened to the recent webinar on that topic. One theme which was repeated more than once was that it is better to learn from someone else’s misfortune rather than have it happen to you. Having personally been involved in two near misses resulting from unsafe pilot transfer arrangements in a relatively short space of time, I asked how experiences and knowledge specifically about pilot ladder safety could best be promulgated to avoid repeating common accidents or near misses.

International Marine pilot platform for information and knowledge exchange an acute necessity.

PILOTTENDER GRODEN (MMSI: 211545300). Build by Abeking & Rasmussen, Germany

River Bann pilots transfer from Athos to pilot vessel Ulidia at Barmouth, River Bann. N. Ireland

Footage from Germany, Bremerhaven

Two decades ago, candidates were selected for TNPA's accelerated training programme in Rotterdam, which aimed to train a new generation of ship pilots, managers and other maritime professionals.

Australian technology provider Frontier Automation has released a new vessel tracking system that can be used as a docking aid tool by pilots. As for all Frontier Automation control systems, it uses 3D machine vision to automatically detect and track in real time shipping vessels within range of a berth by providing information on critical distances to mooring infrastructure, on vessel speed and angle, and on vessel movement directions and orientations.