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

This expert article is based on a presentation given by Capt. Pilot Sven Stemmler at the MCN's (Maritimes Cluster Norddeutschland e. V. ) event ‘On the Future of the Pilot Profession’ at Fraunhofer CML in Hamburg on 9 September 2025.

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.

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.

At the A&R shipyard in Germany, the successful principle of SWATH boats was further developed in 2013: The SWASH principle allows sea-going, smaller and more economical boats.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/Ministry.for.restoration/posts/pfbid0ZSy9XuEdn8JFe38SCxhieyeLipRuwSE1V3LyzmAuyiGr5GiPAyXfR621vGWnuX8Vl?__cft__[0]=AZWwdGxJa-cQ4D72bQsr4qQjihMs4JfiQsAj9VMhhX55nVSFb0_pApBcc P2q_sfI7y6ppoPJUEA5DRnesMF4WWJL3JtuFHBtmHCjQ0ZjsVpI5S732ivCj_Y1Iu6SF8D58sJjZAKAzDQJWtRG_YQgcGeO&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R https://mil.in.ua/uk/news/frantsiya-peredala-ukrayini-lotsmanskyj-kater/ https://www.shipphotos.co.uk/ship/?ship=pilotine103 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:...

Maritime pilots work in an irregular deployment system (rotation system) with unpredictable work assignments under high levels of physical and mental stress. Fatigue or chronic diseases, e.g. coronary heart disease, peptic ulcers or gastritis can occur as a consequence.

The Puget Sound Pilots’ mission is to ensure against the loss of lives, loss of or damage to property and vessels, and to protect the marine environment by maintaining efficient and competent pilotage service on our State’s inland waters within the Puget Sound Pilotage District. The members of the Pilots are highly skilled, specially trained vessel captains who board oil tankers, cargo vessels and cruise ships to guide them safely through Puget Sound waters. The pilots are independent...

In this article Marine Pilot André Gaillard gives us his vision of the maritime pilotage profession of yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Since the late 2000s, a debate has been sparked on the most suitable age of retirement for Korean pilots. The debate has focused on the extension of retirement age of pilots from 65 to 68 and whether this will affect the probability of marine accidents.

A look into the future of the ship's bridge with new technologies.