Pilot embarking and disembarking

Editor's note: The pilot boarding seems a bit improvised and unsafe to me, but that's certainly business as usual, isn't it?

Harbour pilots perform tricky operations boarding big cruise ships from fast pilot boats. Auckland and Malta.

Pilot transfer arrangement is a sensitive topic to be discussed among the pilot’s fraternity. Although ships are designed and operated with compliance to the SOLAS requirements in all respects including the pilot transfer arrangements, there has been numerous deficiencies observed related to pilot transfer arrangements. The small deficiencies from the part of ships cause life threatening accidents for pilots and sometimes to the ship staff themselves. There are many instances of defective ladder and complacency in proper rigging of ladders has been reported almost every day in different parts of the world. Many pilots lost their life, severely injured for life and face many minor to major accidents. The latest incident being the Capt. Timothy Murray of Sandy hooks Pilot.

Great pictures from Estonia

A pilot boat is a type of boat used to transport maritime pilots between land and the inbound or outbound ships that they are piloting.

Marine pilot Indrek Sülla (Eesti Loots) spotted dolphins in the waters of Kopli Bay, off the coast of Tallinn, a few days ago. This is a very special event in this region and so far north.

P&O Sahm is the fifth pilot boat to be acquired by P&O Maritime Logistics from the same builder. It will be operated out of Port Rashid in Dubai.

Opening the building to unveil the Pilotboat "Columbia". Preparing for launchday.