Pilot boarding in the ice

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...

It remains a sad fact that accidents and near misses continue to occur during pilot transfers with frightening regularity. Most of these fortunately do not result in injury, and a surprisingly high number of them are not even recognised for what they are.

Surveys into pilot ladder safety consistently reveal that unacceptably high numbers of pilot transfer arrangements are not compliant with the regulations.

Harbour pilots perform tricky operations boarding big cruise ships from fast pilot boats. Auckland and Malta.

"A performance assessment tool for maritime pilotage operations" - by Jørgen Ernstsen, Norway
When the ship is approaching or leaving a port, a local navigational expert, the pilot, is often provided for assisting the bridge team to safely and efficiently navigate the littoral waters.

The name tag plate on this ladder displays a few important items that can be cross referenced with the certificate: Type, Model, Length, Production date, as well as the serial number (Prod.No) and the approval standard.

Tuesday, October 1st is the start date of the latest International Maritime Pilot Association's annual Safety Campaign.

Previous campaigns by the association have consistently shown results of pilot ladder deficiencies around the 20% mark.

It all started with the idea and vision of a large community of Marine Pilots, bringing people and organisations together. A web portal that gathers all the information for the pilot industry, makes all the stakeholders visible and gives the world's pilots an opportunity to exchange ideas among themselves.