Look at Life - Pilot Aboard 1963

Many people wonder how ships made it across entire oceans without getting lost in the seventeenth century. Aaron introduces seventeenth century navigation to us today by beginning with piloting.

Look at Life - City of Sailors - Portsmouth - 1965
Portsmouth is no longer the sea-faring city it once was; this film from the Documentary Series "Look At Life" Volume 5 - Cultural Heritage in 1965 looks at its changing face.

Step back in time to the height of Britain's maritime influence with this look at the unsung heroes of the shipping industry: the sea pilots. In the 1960s, as global trade patterns shifted and shipping technology began its rapid evolution, British sea pilots remained the vital, trusted guides navigating the world’s most complex waterways. From the treacherous currents of the River Mersey to the bustling ports of the coast, these men held the legal conduct of massive vessels in their hands,...

I have had the privilege of being at quite a number of meetings, conferences and seminars, sometimes representing The Netherlands, but mostly representing the Netherlands pilots. I have had many discussions about the role of pilots and pilot organisations, which lead me to write an article “What is the added value of pilotage?”, published in the February 2020 issue of Seaways.

Möt Hanna, en av våra oumbärliga lotsar på Sjöfartsverket. Som lots fyller hon en viktig funktion, både i bryggteamet på fartygen och i ett större perspektiv. Eftersom vi i Sverige har lotsplikt, är Hanna och hennes kollegors arbete avgörande för den svenska sjöfarten.

Google Maps and ECDIS (Electronic Chart Display and Information System) can be considered to essentially serve the same purpose. While Google Maps is used for finding our way on land, the ECDIS facilitates navigation at sea.

The pilots make docking mega-ships look easy despite the meteorological disturbance.
Great pictures from Morocco

Awesome video by Herman Broers, "The Rotterdam Pilot".

Safe Passage in The Singapore Strait is a training package of two videos and an Interactive computer-based learning module produced by the maritime authorities of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. The aim is to improve safe navigation in the Strait. It is distributed free of charge worldwide. Copyright is with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (c) 2016.