Marine Port Pilot, Port Operations

The Port Phillip Sea Pilots launch Torquay off Point Lonsdale.
Ship spotting at Point Lonsdale and other water activities by Wally on Water.

An analysis by Ahmed Sati

Following a competitive, international selection process, the Port of London Authority (PLA) has signed a contract with British family-run company, Goodchild Marine Services Ltd, to build a new pilot vessel.

Safehaven Marine based in Ireland have just delivered a pilot vessel for operations at the Port of Berbera in
Somaliland, Africa. ‘Sanaag’ is one of Safehaven’s Interceptor 38 pilot vessels, at 11.9m LOA, a very capable design which proves economical to operate, yet capable of dealing with very rough seas and challenging boarding conditions when required.

The Pilots’ Association of the Bay and River Delaware have ordered another pilot boat from Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation. It’s the pilots’ association’s fourth Chesapeake Class launch and eleventh pilot boat built by the Somerset, Mass., shipyard since 1957. Delivery of the new pilot boat is scheduled for 2024.

Safehaven Marine have launched ‘Celso Madeira’, an Interceptor 48 pilot for pilotage operations at the Port of Sines in Portugal.

Based in Estonia, Baltic Workboats is a long-tenured boatbuilder for multiple markets, including the demanding pilot boat sector. Late in 2025 in New Orleans BWB debuted a new hybrid electric 17m model, a boat that leans on more than 15 years of accrued experience building larger hybrid electric vessels. Carl Mahler, BWB’s North American sales lead and a harbor pilot himself, discussed with Maritime Reporter TV the value proposition offered by the shipyard, from manufacturing process to...

Today Captain Peter Dann (President AMPI) has published an open letter about concerns regarding simulation in lieu of on-water training and the situation in Brisbane.