Video Docking a Mega Ship -- How Marine Pilot Manoeuvres a Ship in Port?
published on 24 July 2020
#dockingship #marinepilot Docking a Mega ship in a busy port requires an experienced marine pilot to ensure safe ship docking operation. This video is an excellent overview of how marine pilot manoeuvres a ship into the port. Manoeuvring is an operation during which a vessel enters or exits coastal waters of a country, crosses several ships on the way, and proceeds towards or departs from a berth or jetty of a port. Shot By an experienced marine pilot Syatibi Azhari, who assisted MSC Ambra,...
Video Construction of Panama Canal from 1908 and 1914 in color! Part-1
published on 13 October 2020
Spectacular (silent) film footage of the construction of the Panama Canal more than a century ago. The film shows the construction of the Miraflores and Gatun locks in detail as well as the digging of "The Culebra Cut" including steam trains, steam shovels and steam dredgers at work and scenes of the locks an the Canal in its first days op operation in 1914. Wikipedia: The Panama Canal (Spanish: Canal de Panamá) is an artificial 82 km (51 miles) waterway in Panama that connects the...
Video Tales from a Great Lakes Pilot
published on 9 February 2026
Great Lakes Pilot Eric Treece joined us in the Virtual Visitor Center for an interview about his career as a fleet captain and his experiences now as a pilot working aboard a variety of ships. In the course of the conversation, he shares some spectacular photos he has taken over the years. TECHNICAL NOTE: there are a few audio glitches we could not correct but it only impacts a few spots.
Video The Hair-Raising Career of a Chesapeake Bay Pilot
published on 15 September 2020
Opinion Pilotage And The 6 Deadly "I's"
by Capt. Gary Clay (UK) - published on 3 September 2020
Video Port Tampa Bay Florida Pilot Boat Moves Nicely Down The Seddon Channel On Wed August 24th 2022
published on 25 August 2022
Article GPS (Part 1) - Structure, mode of operation, technical and physical fundamentals of GPS
by Capt. Gunter Schütze, Thailand/Germany - published on 30 January 2020
Article Goodchild Marine to Build New Pilot Boat for Portland Port
published on 2 December 2022
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...