Preparation & Rigging of a Pilot Ladder

The Viking Mars is a brand new cruise ship, built this year (2022). While it is a relatively small ship when it comes to cruise liners, it's still an imposing vessel. It's big enough to enable them to fit a planetarium, fitness center, hair salon, a spa, and the usual shops, restaurants and cabins. We have filmed quite a few vessels coming in and out of Holyhead port now, and the Viking Cruise Line ships are, without doubt, some of the most classy and good looking vessels about. Lovely...

Norwegian shipping company Bukser og Berging has placed an order for a new pilot launch to be built by Kewatec Aluboat of Finland.

At the end of the year and before Christmas, we were able to find a variety of offers for pilots who would like to change in the coming year.

What do you think about this unsafe manoeuvre?

On the occasion of the Maritime Safety Week (July 4-10), UK MAIB’s inspector Bill Evans refers to the issue of unsafe pilot ladders, a concern that has been regularly voiced by the industry.

Editors Note:
Safety is different
One comment on YouTube on this video:
"No hard hats, no Hi-Viz clothing (in case pilot falls in) the one at 5:16 has not even got a life jacket - absolute cowboys!"

The pilot boat is a 1979 Gladding and Hearn, think of it as a 70s muscle car on water. The Deep-V hull does a great job of cutting through the waves while giving us good speed and maneuverability. On to the next one...
Some parts are sped up to fit 60 seconds.

The March edition of The New Zealand Pilot has been published (link in article).