Pilot Vessel Tribulation

Cairns based Pilot Vessel underway outbound 19/9/21

Pilot Boat Mouth of River Boyne - Escorting ship towards the port - Friday 25th February 2022

We we’re out on sea trials with the two newly launched Interceptor 48 pilot boats when the Port of Cork pilot boat ‘Failte’ passed by to undertake a pilot transfer from an outbound ship. It was a nice opportunity to capture some cool video of the action as the boats ran alongside before the ship turned to create a lee for the pilot to disembark. Although the seas weren’t very big, it was blowing hard at the time with gusts of over 50kts recorded at Roches PT lighthouse as we passed.

The entrapment problem of a pilot ladder has not yet been solved and has prompted Captain Francesco Aiello to seek a solution. His very simple idea (patented) has been internationally recognized as innovative.

This video shows the Pilot Vessel "KOON" inside the Canal Acceso a Puerto La Plata when she arrived at Pilot Station Lanchas Del Este, La Plata Harbour, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina.
The video was filmed by @ultrabarqueros

The Brightlingsea Harbour Commission of Essex, UK, recently took delivery of a new pilot boat built by Seaward Boat Development Company based on the Isle of Wight.

India's first and only female maritime pilot at "Courageous Women | Maritime SheEO Conference 2022"

MV Astoria, Dunkirk

The ship could not slow down and sailed against the Old North Lock - “Alte Schleuse Nord”.

When I was a deck officer back in the early nineties I worked on a ship that used to load grain at different ports along the Mississippi river. The name of the ship was Golden Hope, a 600 feet long dry bulk carrier with a 95 feet in beam. An average size vessel for those days' standards.