Oregon Board of Maritime Pilots Executive Director

How do marine pilots work? Example: Bringing a bulkcarrier alongside to „Hansaport“ in Hamburg. Here the tugboats „Prompt“, „Resolute“ and „Bulldog“ are involved. The master has to rely on the pilot. One reason is, that he can‘t know how to deal with these tugs. A maneuver like this is only safe, when the pilot has a lot of practical experience. A master who is doing a maneuver like this only about once or twice a month and each time with tugs he doesn’t know in areas he hasn’t been to...

The European Maritime Pilots' Association (EMPA) has compiled a very good overview of current (and also country-specific) documents concerning the COVID-19 pandemic on its website. This page is updated regularly.

Comment and photos by Reshma Nilofer Naha
India's first female Marine Pilot (Kalkata Port Trust)

On November 17th 2020 Port Everglades Pilot Mark Ruppert brought the ship Zhen Hua 25 into Port Everglades. The ship was loaded with 3 huge gantry cranes, a crucial part of the port expansion project.
Found on YouTube. Filmed and produced by Captain Carl Mahler
Editor's note: Great video but where is the life jacket? 1:36

A maritime pilot, marine pilot, harbor pilot, bar pilot, or simply pilot, is a sailor who maneuvers ships through dangerous or congested waters, such as harbors or river mouths. They are navigational experts possessing knowledge of the particular waterway such as its depth, currents, and hazards.

In this paper, the risk of ship pilotage in Jiangsu section of the Yangtze River is studied by fuzzy comprehensive evaluation: risk factor identification, risk evaluation and decision making suggestion.

Harken Safety & Rescue has unveiled an innovative man overboard recovery system designed to improve safety on vessels. Developed in collaboration with Genoa Port Pilots, this system offers a solution for rescuing overboard personnel efficiently.

The pilots make docking mega-ships look easy despite the meteorological disturbance.
Great pictures from Morocco

This article was first published back in September 2021: Pilotage operations require close interaction between human and machines. This complex sociotechnical system is necessary to safely and efficiently maneuver a vessel in constrained waters.