Preparation & Rigging of a Pilot Ladder

The arrival of machine learning and artificial intelligence has taken efficiency to a whole new level. Software platforms can now suggest maintenance routines, recommend spare-part changes, and even predict breakdowns of machinery.

Look at Life Vol 01 Transport Pilot Aboard 1963
The story of Britain's pilotage services.

The Port of Cork company has ordered a new pilot vessel from boat builders, Safehaven Marine based in Youghal.

A new £1.35 million pilot vessel, Stainsby, was added to the Pilot Boat fleet last year. The vessel was built in Wales by Holyhead Marine Services, an experienced builder of pilot boats that delivered Teesport the similar Saltholme in 2014. The 16.5 metre boat is powered by twin Scania DI16 diesels, producing 525BHP @ 1800RPM. Transmission is via Twin Disc “Quickshift” MGX-5136SC Gearboxes.

Video made for information only.

At least ten people died and 251 were injured in a chlorine gas leak from a storage tank at Jordan's Aqaba port, officials and state media reported on Monday, as authorities called on residents to shut windows and stay indoors. The leak came after a tank filled with 25 tonnes of chlorine gas being exported to Djibouti fell while being transported, officials said. A video posted on state television's Twitter page showed a storage tank falling from a winch and slamming into the deck of a ship,...

How to get information for wind & current limits to be potentially encountered by thrusters – or current? - this will be described in this movie:
- Measure Drift speed, due to beam wind with no propulsion;
- Measure drift speed using full thrusters
- Estimate wind & current limits to be potentially encountered by thrusters – or current...
- Finally there is a simple formula as Rule of Thumb: the transverse drift speed is about 7-8% of wind speed!

In our new new section “Five questions for ..." Marine-Pilots.com introduces pilots and other market players to our readers in short interviews.

Today we have talked to Douglas Vincett, Industrial & Technical Sales at Spinlock.

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.