A French munitions ship and a Norwegian steamer collided in Halifax harbour in December 1917, and the blast that followed remains the largest human-made explosion before the atomic bomb. Within six days, a formal inquiry opened — and within two months it placed nearly all the blame on one harbour pilot. Wreck Commissioner Arthur Drysdale's inquiry found Mont-Blanc's pilot and captain responsible for the collision that triggered the disaster, and all three men involved, including a naval...
Editors note: A film of a pilot boat has just been published on YouTube with the title "How Dangerous being in a Pilot Boat..." on YouTube. I'm not sure if this really shows a dangerous maneuver, maybe the experts can comment on it here.
But in principle it is problematic to approach the ship in such a small Pilot Boat in the wake from astern and cross the waves there. I remember an accident from Finland in December 2017 where the boat capsized and people died. Is this situation shown here...
HamiltonJet unveiled its new Electro-Hybrid Drive (EHX) system – innovative technology that offers all the advantages of electric drive with the full capabilities of diesel.
This unique system delivers lowers fossil fuel consumption (reduced further when dock charging, as infrastructure allows) combined with the speed, manoeuvrability, efficiency and safety waterjets are renowned for.
Ocean Pacific was contracted to construct a state-of-the-art Pilot boat for the Pacific Pilotage Authority. The craft features a MAN tier III emissions system, offering reduced diesel emissions.
In September 2021, The Pacific Guardian was splashed for the last time after some final finishing touches, and left Campbell River for Victoria where it will join a fleet of four other vessels for the Pacific Pilotage Authority. This state of the art pilot boat will aid in carrying out safe,...
Knot your average day job.
Video contributors: AAL shipping, WA Maritime museum, Fremantle Ports.
Fremantle Pilots respectfully acknowledges the profound connection that exists between the land, waterways, and the traditional lands of the Whadjuk people. We pay our deepest respects to the Whadjuk people, the original custodians of the expansive Walyalup region, and recognize the enduring significance of their cultural heritage and beliefs in shaping the present and future of the Whadjuk...
A handy and simple tool to determine in a minimum time what is really needed as tug assistance, is the Bollard Pull Calculator which calculates in an approximate way the total required tug power for ships in various conditions of wind and current. This tool can be loaded as an app on the smart phone.