Sail training ship "Amerigo Vespucci" operated by the Livorno Pilots

Pilot recruitment has traditionally been based on seniority, and extensive sea experience. However, a more modern approach, hiring younger, motivated candidates with structured training, offers an alternative path with compelling advantages.

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.

Pilots are expert ship handlers who possess detailed knowledge of local waterways. They are transported by high speed "Pilot Boat" or helicopter from shore to an inbound ship and from an outbound ship back ashore. Most ports have compulsory pilotage.

Amid the breathtaking beauty of Tampa Bay, there is a constant current of change for the Tampa Bay harbor pilots. In an ocean that can turn from peaceful to perilous, the pilots are required to have a calm voice and a steady hand.
“You really do have to know how to work under pressure. You’ve got to be quick on your feet. You’ve got to be on point all the time,” pilot Tevin Freeman said.
Read more: https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/hillsboroughcounty/tampa-bay-pilots-ships-skyway-...

Google Maps and ECDIS (Electronic Chart Display and Information System) can be considered to essentially serve the same purpose. While Google Maps is used for finding our way on land, the ECDIS facilitates navigation at sea.

Port Everglades Pilots 54’ Pilot Boat No7
With 2x Humphree H750 Interceptors w/Active Ride Control

On 1st April 2022 Brazil Pilots - Praticagem do Brasil - will organize a webinar about dangerous ladder with speaker Arie Palmers.

HURON SPIRIT / PILOT BOAT - Downbound Passenger & Guests Photo Op Touch and Go Along Side Dirk S. Van En Kevort / Michigan Trader On The St. Clair River At Port Huron, Michigan.
HURON SPIRIT / PILOT BOAT - Downbound Demonstrating A Touch And Go Along Side The Dirk S. Van Enkevort / Michigan Trader For A Photo Op With Special Guest Onboard on the St. Clair River At Port Huron South of the Blue Water Bridges.

At the end of the disembarking procedure, the pilot jumps on ropes onto the pilot boat. Is this often seen practice safe? Can the pilot resolve the situation better?

Pilot onboard disembarking vessel ship #shorts