Marine Harbour Senior Pilot with 10 years experience in ship handling and maneuvering all kind of vessels

This video shows how to update the firmware of your TRENZ Pilot Plug using the TRENZ Pilot Plug Manager and a Windows 10 machine.
The TRENZ Pilot Plug Manager is downloadable for free. Get it here: https://manager.trenz-pilotplug.com/
Please visit https://trenz-pilotplug.com/ for more information.

In this Episode 1, we are joined by Marcel Van Der Horst, a maritime pilot with over 19 years of experience. Marcel will provide an in-depth overview of why maritime pilots are crucial and share essential pilotage techniques used in harbor operations. This episode is a true masterclass, complete with visual explanations. We’ll cover crucial topics such as: 1️⃣ Why you need a maritime pilot 2️⃣ Understanding different types of maneuvers in the harbor 3️⃣ How a ship is berthed using an anchor...

Published on 5th June 2020. 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."

How to get information for wind & current limits to be potentially encountered by thrusters – or current? - this will be described in this movie:
- Measure Drift speed, due to beam wind with no propulsion;
- Measure drift speed using full thrusters
- Estimate wind & current limits to be potentially encountered by thrusters – or current...
- Finally there is a simple formula as Rule of Thumb: the transverse drift speed is about 7-8% of wind speed!

There were some astonishing pictures in the press some weeks ago of a Royal Marine employing a jetpack to launch himself from a RIB to land on the deck of a ship with extraordinary precision. You cannot imagine that it would be a feasible proposition to equip pilots with such a device, but it did cross my mind after reading a horrible catalogue of disgraceful seamanship and poor design exhibited in what ought to be the simple matter of keeping pilots safe as they board and leave ships.

The IMPA Safety Campaign will take place from 16th to 30th May 2025. We encourage all maritime pilots to take part, as your contribution is essential to the success of the campaign!

A more unique angle regarding freighter departures; I was able to film the routine disembarking of one of our local ship captains and officers after piloting Solina out of the harbor. This is a required procedure, as per US Maritime Laws, all international freighters must be piloted in and out of a US harbor by a US Captain. Here we have out local pilot vessel Sea Bear running up alongside the Solina to allow the two officers to depart the freighter before she heads out across Lake Superior

Here's the full video of recent sea trials with our two pilot boats including storm Ciara, three boats together and some boarding runs. Its quite an interesting little video with some great footage.

They are very proud at Next Generation Shipyards in Lauwersoog; the brand-new tender for the Dutch Pilotage is ready in the harbor. Costs: 3.5 million euros.

Dr. Tobias Haack (Hadag)
Dirk Lehmann (Becker Marine System)
Evangelos Fragkoulis (Svitzer)
Moderation: Eva Beykirch (Navisense)