Assistant Harbour Master/trainee Pilot at Newhaven Port, East Sussex

Correct method of rigging pilot ladder explained.
As explained, a large number of reports related to the use of pilot ladders which are too long relative to the vessel’s draughts. As a result, the excessively long ladders require shortening up before being deployed for boarding pilots. In these cases, ship crew shortens the pilot ladders, using D-shackles to choke the side ropes at the required height along the ladder’s length. In this method, the D-shackle is first secured to a hard point...

Delivering the pilot to the Aurora Tanker in Brunei Darussalam.

What a dangerous situation. Never seen that before.

On March 26, Captain Anne McIntyre received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the California State University Maritime Academy Alumni Association’s 17th Annual Scholarship and Awards Gala. The Lifetime Achievement Award represents the highest honor bestowed by Cal Maritime and awards alumni who have made significant contributions to their industries, their chosen profession, and to the academy over the course of their careers.

Every day, Fremantle Ports managers go out into the workplace to make safety observations.
Well-prepared observers can bring new eyes to everyday activities, particularly high-risk ones. Such observations can help identify hazards early on, whether they arise from equipment, practices, the environment or non-conformance with procedures. By systematically tracking the resulting data, over time we can better understand our own safety risks and opportunities to improve.
Here, our Manager...

Here is the latest version of the professional handbuch of "pilot Ladder Safety" for the rigging and the use of pilot ladders by Herman Broers from July 2021.

The Port of Milford Haven – the biggest port in Wales and largest energy port in the UK – will trial Zelim’s Swift rescue conveyor on its operational pilot vessels. The port may also utilise this technology on its new pilot vessel, which is currently in the final stages of contract award.

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

This article was originally published on Baird Maritime (link below)
When a pilot is berthing a ship with the aid of tugs, it sometimes happens that the ship lands heavily and suffers minor damage. More commonly in my experience, it also happens that the crew discover a large dent for which they cannot account ...