Lesath and Procyon. Pilot vessels at the Port of Rotterdam

As a rule, every pilot has the right to refuse an unsafe ladder. Safety first! A brave pilot is not the one who uses an unsafe ladder, but the one who, in case of doubt, asks for a different ladder or a different setting.
Unfortunately, too many pilots climb a dubious ladder when in doubt.

Crude Oil Tanker British Robin passing St Anns Head on a rather windy day in Pembrokeshire.

It has been shown that a majority (51%) of pilot ladders is secured by means of D-shackles, when secured at intermediate length. Previous research (Evans, 2020) has proven that this method has only about 50% of the strength of the pilot ladder when secured at full length (“double ended ladder”), or by means of the “endless-sling” method.

NQBP is proudly committed to safe shipping - watch as our Marine Pilot, Captain Luke Sorensen explains how he safely manoeuvres a vessel from the PortofHayPoint.
Fact: In 2015-16, 1133 vessels were handled at this NQBP port.

In this episode, we are joined by Arie Palmers, a maritime pilot with over 16 years of experience. Arie provides an in-depth overview of the safety and challenges faced daily by maritime pilots. Check out Arie’s LinkedIn profile for access to the "Weekly Ladder Misery", where you’ll find golden insights into the safe practices that maritime pilots should follow. We’ll cover crucial topics such as: 1️⃣ Challenges and dangers of being a maritime pilot 2️⃣ Understanding good practices for...

Issues like the Covid 19 crisis and the moves towards increased autonomy appear to be driving a renewed interest in Shore Based Pilotage (SBP), nowadays often called Remote Pilotage.

Qastor was first released in 1998 and has become the benchmark in pilotage software in the years to follow.

The software has evolved from being just a navigational aid to an essential tool to support the day to day activities of the marine pilot.

The Bollard Pull value, which can be interpreted as the maximum thrust that is developed for a specific amount of time by the propulsion systems of any vessel to the fullest , when it has zero speed in the forward direction, is the criterion that allows us to understand how suitable a tugboat is for a port maneuver or a towing operation.