Deputy Harbour Master

The Navigator - Issue 29 is now available to read for free.
This issue looks at Pilot safety and can be downloaded or read online.

Watching Bar Pilots navigate the Columbia River in Astoria, OR and learning some history about the old pilot boat “Peacock”. Beautiful sunny day on the river with Sea lions, Gulls, ducks and more. Learn why it’s absolutely necessary for the bar pilots to help the ships get through one of the most treacherous parts of the Columbia.

Free Marine Pilot Profiles webinar, unday 14th November at 7pm AEDT. Open to everyone.

When publishing articles or pictures about pilots and their pilot ladders, very often we see the use of backpacks. The use of backpacks is controversial, since its weight, or buoyancy, can influence the functioning of the lifejacket used.

Here’s a pretty cool video covering the recent sea trials we undertook with the La Coruna pilot boat. Some nice gale footage 20 miles offshore, and the fun we had trying to land the drone back down in high winds as well as alongside ship handling trials with the Taccola, operating out of Cork Harbour at present.

10 years back in time: Port of London Authority Pilot Jon Stafford talks about his work and the challenges of guiding large ships safely into and out of the Port of London.

For days, the container freighter "Ever Given" had blocked the Suez Canal. Now Egypt and the shipping company are apparently arguing about compensation. For safety's sake, the canal authorities had the ship chained up.

Finnpilot’s present six pilotage areas will be merged to form four pilotage areas. New District Managers have been appointed to head the pilotage areas. At the same time, an Operational Executive Committee will be established for Finnpilot. The organisational change, which was planned in close co-operation with the personnel, will take effect on 1 October 2020.