Video The Pilot Of Belfast Harbour - N Irish Coastal Scenery
published on 20 June 2022
What a great pleasure to meet these guys at the harbour - they could not have been more helpful and forthright about their work. At first glance, the glide of these orange powerboats up and down Belfast Lough seems an almost effortless task, but close up this is a very skilled trade and constant management of risk 24/7 in high and low seas, jumping from ship to boat to land taking safe control of the great volume of steel vessel coming in and out of this busy port. Though a hub of...
Video Training of the Elbe pilots - documentary (in german)
published on 6 November 2020
Die Lotsenbrüderschaft Elbe ist ein geschlossener Kreis, der sich nicht gern in die Karten schauen lässt. Wer dort Mitglied werden und bis zu 400 Meter lange Containerpötte in den Hamburger Hafen steuern möchte, muss hohe Anforderungen erfüllen. Bewerber müssen mehrere Jahre lang zur See gefahren sein, um ausreichend Fahrpraxis zu haben. Aber es gibt immer weniger deutsche Seeleute, weil die Reeder billigere Kräfte aus dem Ausland bevorzugen. Dadurch wird es zunehmend schwierig,...
Article In Memoriam of Captain Dennis R. Sherwood (1955 - 2019)
by Bianca Reineke, lutheran Pastor, Germany - published on 3 January 2020
Ladders are the bridges for crossing the rough seas of our lives.
When you are a Marine Pilot at work, hoping and praying that the ladders which let you embark the vessel are stable, safe and not dangerous.
In Memoriam of the late Captain Dennis Sherwood who passed away on Monday the 30th of December.
Opinion Should the Captain go down with the ship?
by Melvin Mathews - published on 10 November 2020
Article National Transportation Safety Board Releases Report Detailing 2018 Allision At Louisiana’s Sunshine Bridge
published on 13 August 2020
On October 11, 2018, the Kristin Alexis was performing fleeting work with a crew of six, including a captain, pilot, and four deckhands (two per shift), at the Cooper Consolidated fleeting facility at Convent located at mile 161.5. About 2300, the Cooper Consolidated dispatcher informed the Kristin Alexis captain that their next job was to move the derrick-type crane barge Mr Ervin upriver to the Cooper Consolidated fleeting facility in Darrow, located at mile 175.
Video Humber Maritime College Simulator Tour
published on 21 October 2020
Video Refusing to board due to a pilot ladder not rigged correctly
published on 20 June 2025
This lady came into port in an excellent day, however when I inspected the pilot ladder prior to board I saw that it was rigged using D-Shackles fastened between the side ropes, transferring all the weight and load of the ladder to the clamps and chokes. Truly an unsuitable method of securing the ladder. Retrieval line was also not above the first spreader
After pulling out the pilot boat, the ship was contacted by VHF and the captain was asked to instruct the crew in the usage of ropes and...
Video Harbor Pilot Disembarking Norwegian Spirit at Lyttleton
published on 21 May 2026
Video On the frontline: working at sea amid the COVID-19 crisis
published on 8 February 2021
When the world locked down, Australia’s marine pilots continued bringing ships safely into the nation’s ports to deliver the goods we depend on. Around 6,000 ships visit the ports of NSW each year and meeting them at sea to help them navigate into our ports and harbours are Port Authority’s marine pilots and cutter vessel crews. ••• Port Authority of New South Wales manages the navigation, security and operational safety needs of commercial shipping in Sydney Harbour, Port Botany,...