Before you, you see my third article on pilot boarding arrangements. After my two previous articles
(‘1000 ways to secure a pilot ladder’ and ‘1000 ladders around’, I have received a lot of feedback and
also questions to get deeper into the matter of combinations and embarkation platforms.

Jacobsen Pilot Service and Los Angeles Pilot Station published a notice to all ships to inspect pilot ladders before the pilot boards.

Reason is an incident happened at the port of long beach in July 2020. Pilot ladder rope broke while the pilot was on the ladder - luckily the pilot was able to hold on.

There are many things in both our everyday and professional lives which we take for granted and never question the origins of, an example of this might be the IMPA recommended ‘pilot mark or pilot line’, which is sometimes seen on the side of vessels indicating where a vessels freeboard exceeds 9 metres.

It has been exactly one year ago that a pilot from Sandy Hook (New York), Dennis Sherwood, died in the line of duty while attempting to board the container vessel Maersk Kensington.
What has happened since then? Has safety been improved for the pilots?

Container ship MADRID TRADER ran aground in fairway while entering Mar del Plata Port, Argentina, at around 1830 UTC Jan 20, with pilot on board.

Dali Timeline What's Going on With Shipping? March 29, 2024 In this episode - maritime historian at Campbell University (@campbelledu) and former merchant mariner - discusses the timeline released by the NTSB from the Dali's Vessel Data Recorder and lays out some of the questions, issues that have been raised, and questions that need to be answered. #dali #baltimorebridge #baltimore #shipping #brdigecollapse #supplychain #containerships #containerships Support What's Going on With...

Product tanker NORTHSEA RATIONAL in load contacted embankment in Neumuelen, Hamburg, in the morning Nov 25, while maneuvering to berth, according to FleetMon.
It stated: “Tanker sustained serious damages to starboard bow, cause of accident yet unknown.
“She was berthed after accident, and as of evening Nov 25, remained, berthed. There was no hull breach in cargo tanks area, no cargo loss reported.”

"Analysis of reports indicates that pilot ladders (Pilot Transfer Arrangements, or PTAs) and
intentional deviations from safety procedures remain the main causes of near misses..."

In this episode of the Wayfinder Podcast, we sit down with Captain Joost Mulder, a maritime pilot with over 20 years guiding vessels through the Port of Rotterdam, to break down how pilotage decisions actually get made in adverse weather. Captain Mulder walks us through: - How captains, pilots, and the harbor master share decision-making authority, and what happens when conditions turn borderline mid-transit - Why wind, more than current or wave height, is the biggest factor in port...

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