Near miss: VALDIVIA dangerously approached beach in Vlissingen, NL

vlissingen 2017

Vessel name: Polaris ; Year built: 2012 ; Flag: Netherlands ; Homeport: Rotterdam Length: 81.2m X 13.3m ; GRT: 2501 ; Callsign: PBZN ; MMSI:245142000 ; IMO: 9496915 Type: Special Vessel / Pilot Ship A "Pilot Ship / Pilot Vessel" is a "special type" of ship in which it accommodates a certain and limited Marine Pilots (Sea, River, Harbor Pilots), it also carries small boats/crafts that are used to tender services to and from the Pilot ship. In a Pilot Vessel, the Pilots can take their time...

Het Nederlands Loodswezen BV is een organisatie die de aangesloten registerloodsen de middelen verschaft om hun werk uit te oefenen. Zo int het Loodswezen de loodsgelden en zorgt de organisatie voor het transport van en naar zeeschepen. We zien hier een prachtig staaltje inparkeren door de Pioneer in de speciaal daarvoor aangelegde loodsbotenhaven in Vlissingen; naast het Keizersbolwerk. Klaar om de Westerschelde weer op te varen.

In fact, the pivot point that we “see” is a trick of the eye, it looks like the ship is rotating about this point but in fact it is elsewhere, a point that you cannot see.

Container ship CMA CGM MISSOURI ran aground in Suez Canal while transiting in southern direction, at around 0930 UTC Oct 14. As of 1745 UTC, probably refloated or moved, several Suez Canal tugs attending. Traffic probably suspended, but it’s not confirmed. No information on what caused grounding.
Container ship CMA CGM MISSOURI, IMO 9679919, dwt 115600, capacity 9448 TEU, built 2016, flag Liberia.

On 21st and 22nd September, the ISPO conference 2022 will be held at Cork in Ireland. Now the conference program and topics have been published.

Southeast Alaska Pilots’ is running a third simulator exam May 24-28 with the written exam May 22, 2021. This exam is open to new applicants and those that were not able to attend the previous exam. Those that tested in October or December 2020 will not be eligible

The technology group Wärtsilä has delivered a navigation simulator and specific mathematical models to the Satakunta University of Applied Sciences (SAMK) in the city of Rauma, Finland. These will be used as an essential enabler in the Intelligent Shipping Technology Test Laboratory (ISTLAB) project, which aims at creating a technically precise testing environment for remotely controlled, autonomous vessels. The contract with Wärtsilä was signed in the 4th quarter of 2019.

photo and article by Luis Vale, Portugal

Awesome video by Herman Broers, "The Rotterdam Pilot".