A containership collided with a Pilot boat inside taipei harbour

off Taipei, bit choppy seas

On 30 March 2023, a fatal accident occurred in the North Sea near IJmuiden during a pilot transfer from the pilot boat to a seagoing vessel.

On March 15, 2021, about 1302 local time, the oil tanker Riverside with a crew of 21 and 2 pilots was transiting outbound from the port of Corpus Christi, near Ingleside, Texas, in a loaded condition when the vessel lost propulsion and struck the no. 4 loading dock at the Moda Ingleside Energy Center. 1 No pollution or injuries were reported. Damage to the vessel was estimated at $550,000. The estimated property damage to the facility was $7 million.

Going down the accommodation ladder with neither lifevest nor safety line must have been based on similar, past, successful operations, which may have never been challenged on board. This ‘slippage’ in safety is a pernicious and common phenomenon.

Despite clear regulations and regular maintenance requirements, safety often falls by the wayside, as the current example of a bulk carrier vividly demonstrates.

The crew of a pilot boat rescued a 47-year-old colleague from the North Sea during a severe storm and darkness. The pilot fell overboard early on Sunday morning.

Issue no. 332 of "The Pilot by United Kingdom Maritime Pilots´ Association is out now.

Flotte Hamburg Pilot. Lotse 1/Lotse 2 (MMSI 211281010) Pilot Vessel. Tonnage 93. L. 23.2. W. 6.12. Built 1995. Heinrich Grube Schiffswerft. Flag Germany.

A maritime pilot tells us about why he loves switching ships in midstream.

As the marine industry digests decarbonization, digitalization and autonomy, DNV GL warns that a keen eye must stay on identifying and mitigating safety risks.