Information about novel Coronavirus from the World Health Organization (WHO)

IMPA has published examples of best practice together with a letter from Capt. Simon Pelletier, President of IMPA.

The United Kingdom Maritime Pilots' Association (UKMPA) has all been inundated with CV19 communications from all manner of sources in the last few weeks. Here is a condensed collection of information from the UKMPA.

On Monday, March 23, 2020, Admiral Osama Rabie announced the successful transit of the Italian passenger ship COSTA DIADEMA in the northbound convoy through the new Suez Canal, coming from the United Arab Emirates heading to Italy. Special measures were applied, as 65 Coronavirus cases were reported on board which required piloting the vessel remotely through pilotage team boarded on two escorting tugs in full coordination with the transit control offices and navigation monitoring stations in a first of its kind scenario in the history of the Suez Canal.

Vessels are being stranded at ports on the river due to the lack of pilots and the line-up of vessels forced to wait in the anchorage outside the estuary is increasing rapidly. Owners are unclear how long the problem will last

The smart fairway digitalization pilot is a part of the EMMA Extension project that is funded by the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme. This summer, 34 smart buoys were installed in the Saimaa deep fairway, which is Finland’s most important inland waterway for merchant shipping.
Safety is enhanced in particular by the fact that the pilots and VTS can adjust the light output of beacons and the rhythm of lights to support the navigation of vessels in poor visibility and weather conditions....

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.

Interview with Abu Dhabi Ports’ Crisis & Business Continuity Management Manager, Mohamed Al Hosani to illustrate the business continuity initiatives, and the key health and safety measures implemented at Abu Dhabi Ports to ensure the health and safety of employees and stakeholders.

Commander Roberto Bunicci, chief pilot of the Port of Ravenna's Pilots' Guild and already Vice President in office, is the new President of the Italian Federation of Port Pilots.

Statement von Joris J. Stuip, Senior Vice President PTR Holland and a comment by Frank Diegel, CEO & Founder of Marine-Pilots.com

Conversion work, designed and engineered by JMS Naval Architects, of Mystic, CT, has been completed of the former Oil Spill Response Vessel OSRV MAINE RESPONDER to a Pilot Station Vessel for United New York & New Jersey Sandy Hook Pilots Association.