Loadmaster & Marine Pilots

We take a look at some of the dangerous ladder arrangements provided by ships when attempting to take maritime pilots on board. Our message is simple: if you are offered an unsafe or non-compliant ladder, do not board!

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.

SF Bar Pilot transfer- offshore pilot station.

Here’s some cool video footage we captured of the Cork Pilots in their Interceptor 48 pilot boat ‘Failte’ undertaking pilot transfers off Cork Harbour during the recent days of strong SE gales. Roches Point lighthouse recorded 50kts of wind on the 13th as the Cosco bulk carrier passed and the Cork wave buoy 2nm off the harbour entrance recorded waves to 6.7m at the time. The pilot boat coxwain managed to get alongside and safely disembark the pilot despite the challenging sea state....

The hazards of Pilot boarding
Throughout 2016, the International Maritime Pilots’ Association (IMPA) held a safety campaign focused upon the standard of pilot ladders and associated equipment. CHIRP supported this campaign and received many reports on the subject.
This first report describes issues concerning pilot access near
the non-parallel ends of a ship, and use of a retractable platform.

Unissued / Unused material - Hamburg, West Germany (FDR - Federal Republic of Germany). German helicopters are used to carry river boat pilots to where they are needed. Big CU Helicopter pilot talking into mouthpiece. Aerial view from helicopter of boat below. MS as the helicopter comes in and lands on deck of the ship. Various shots as pilot is picked up from lightship and flown off in helicopter. LS From bridge of ship as helicopter flies overhead. CU Small bird sitting on capstan. (f.g....

Join me for a full shift working on the River Tyne as part of the pilot boat crew — serving ships, surveying the river, using our underwater drone, and even lifting the boat out for essential repairs. From early starts to emergency call-outs, this video gives you a real look behind the scenes at life on the water. ⚙️ What’s in this video: Pilot boat duties & ship transfers River Tyne survey missions Underwater drone footage Boat maintenance and lift-out Responding to emergency call-outs 🎥...

Footage from faraway countries shows a reality that is incompatible with safety standards set by IMPA, EMPA and other organisations. There is still much to be done to protect the lives of all pilots worldwide.

This is an "only in Astoria" moment we get to see every day.