Pilotboarding by crane

To minimize the risk of a vessel allision with a terminal gantry crane, the American Harbor and Docking Pilots Association recommends that all terminal operators with gantry cranes adopt the following Best Practices.

Personal Locator Beacons (PLB) and other individual MOB devices have been available for some years now and have evolved to incorporate a variety of different alerting methods and combinations. However, usage of these additional enhancements within UK Pilotage is still in its infancy.

U.S. Coastgard has published an update of their Recommendation for Pilot Transfer Arrangements in latest Marine Safety Information Bulletins (MSIB).

"Recent deaths of maritime pilots while embarking commercial vessels highlight the risks of operating in an
unforgiving maritime environment. To ensure the safety of all personnel boarding a vessel at sea, the Coast
Guard reminds vessel owners and operators of the requirements contained in the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Chapter V, Regulation 23 and strongly recommends that owners and operators follow the recommendations within IMO Resolution A.1045(27) – Pilot Transfer Arrangements. "

Conapra / Praticagem do Brasil have issued a notice “Common Errors in the pilot boarding arrangement “. In this notice, reference is made to international regulations ( Solas V Reg 23, IMO 1045 and ISO 799 ) as well as national regulations.

Pilot Vessel "DELTA CHARLIE" Arriving at #Recalada #BoardingStation #KM239,1 #PuntaIndioChannel #RioDeLaPlata #Argentina This video shows the moment when the Pilot Vessel "DELTA CHARLIE" was arriving at #BoardingPoint #Recalada to embark the Rio de la Plata #Pilots. You can watch the full video by clicking on the following Link: / Puedes ver el video apretando en el siguiente Link: https://youtu.be/dCEQcDkgsj8 Special appreciation to the Master of the unknown Ship, his Officers and the...

In one of the busiest and most critical waterways in the United States, timing and safety are everything. Along the Sabine-Neches Waterway in Port Arthur, Texas, the Sabine Pilots are redefining maritime pilot transfer by taking to the air. This video follows the Sabine Pilots and HeliService USA as they use Leonardo AW169 helicopters to move pilots safely and efficiently between ships—reducing risk, improving responsiveness, and keeping America’s energy gateway moving. From offshore hoists...

On April 20, 2026, the Columbia River Bar Pilots conducted a MOB drill with the U.S. Coast Guard Station Astoria.

A handy and simple tool to determine in a minimum time what is really needed as tug assistance, is the Bollard Pull Calculator which calculates in an approximate way the total required tug power for ships in various conditions of wind and current. This tool can be loaded as an app on the smart phone.