Pilot boarding ship - ice bound harbour.

Boarding a vessel at sea can be dangerous. By following simple rules, it can be done safely. This safety video shows you how to leave the launch boat and climb the ladder when boarding vessels at sea safely as well as boarding preparations, safety precautions and boarding under special conditions. The 3 types of boarding arrangements for pilot are also explained. Watch with sound on. Transfers are normally safe when everyone takes all the precautions. If you think it is unsafe, remember to...

Jacobsen Pilot Service and Los Angeles Pilot Station published a notice to all ships to inspect pilot ladders before the pilot boards.

Reason is an incident happened at the port of long beach in July 2020. Pilot ladder rope broke while the pilot was on the ladder - luckily the pilot was able to hold on.

Since 2022, there is a solution in Germany that helps pilots to report defects in pilot ladders or pilot transfer arrangements quickly and easily. The apps are available for Android & iOS.

Editor's note: Nice video and many right steps! But the pilot should walk on the other - none ship - side for his safety. Great to see so many helmets and the second man secured to the pilot boat with a line.

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.

By the end of this year, our sea pilots are set to have undertaken a record number of pilotage acts. The total number is set to exceed 10,700, with almost 99% of the acts completed without delay.

From the author: "This is a special video about the transit through the infamous Panama canal. It took me quite some time to make this video. I tried to show as much as I could about the Panama canal and its pilotage waters."