Marine Pilot

For the safety of maritime pilots

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.

Columbia River Bar pilot transfer using helicopter from Articulated Tug and Barge Island Monarch / Island Trader, April 29, 2021 near Astoria, Oregon, USA.

A routine station watch turns surreal as a massive container ship slowly emerges from dense fog. We board the pilot, complete the transfer, and watch the vessel disappear back into the mist.

Kewatec builds the twelfth pilot boat and the ninth Pilot 1820 boat for Buksér og Berging in Norway. The boat is of the same series as the previous Pilot 1820 boats that have been delivered during the last five years. The boats have a total length of 18.2 meters and are the flagships of Kewatec's pilot boat range.

A compilation of shots of the various pilot launches that work off Point Lonsdale, Victoria, Aust. Three pilot companies work out of Queenscliff servicing the Ports of Melbourne and Geelong. These boats are out in rough weather if need be, to keep the shipping moving. Port Phillip Sea Pilots , Auriga Pilotage Group and Poseidon Pilots all have Hart Marine boats built in Mornington in Victoria.
Ship spotting at Point Lonsdale and other water activities by Wally on Water.

Improved traffic flow converts waiting times into increased safety and bunker savings for large ships in the narrow Swedish and Finnish archipelagos.
Found on YouTube. Created by "Sjöfartsverket".
In the STM EfficientFlow project, the Baltic ports of Rauma and Gävle implement efficient port calls using real-time information. Improved traffic flow converts waiting times into increased safety and bunker savings for large ships in the narrow Swedish and Finnish archipelagos.

What does a pilot ship do and how does it work in one of the largest ports in Brazil, come with us to follow this adventure