From Dusk to Dawn - SOHAR Port

Container ship @ Port of Sohar

This is a video designed to educate people about pilots and their work. It consists of an animated version and a live action version.

Comment and photos by Reshma Nilofer Naha
India's first female Marine Pilot (Kalkata Port Trust)

I am not a computer savvy. My knowledge in programming and robotics and those sort of things is nil. I get lost in the sea of social media and easily entangle myself in the web. All I have done for the last 25 years or so is to pilot ships through the Panama Canal. However, during the last couple of years I have done my best to catch up with technology, since it has enhanced our possibilities and improved safety in our field. But still, I have to admit that I am way behind the new guys in this important issue.

A maritime pilot tells us about why he loves switching ships in midstream.

An overview of the work that has been done to enable larger ships to call at Lyttelton, New Zealand.

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...

The entrapment problem of a pilot ladder has not yet been solved and has prompted Captain Francesco Aiello to seek a solution. His very simple idea (patented) has been internationally recognized as innovative.