Allen Garfinkle — The Making of a Bay Pilot | 8/7/2019

The article was written by Allen Garfinkle, Executive Director – Board of Pilot Commissioners for the Bays of San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun

Welcome back to the Fluctus Channel for a feature on the important role of tugboats in navigating the bigger vessels in harbors and canal, as well as the open seas.

Text and photos by Tonci Regjo
Pilot for the Split Harbour

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-...

Northwest passage

Transnet National Ports Authority’s (TNPA) Port of Ngqura customers can count on experienced piloting services when their vessels are being moved in and out of the port. Ngqura boasts the services of Marine Pilot Ziggy (Siegfried) Duwe (62), who has achieved more than 4,000 ship movements in the last 12 years. He is the first pilot with this accomplishment in Algoa Bay, according to company records.

Port Revel is used for shiphandling training of maritime pilots, masters and officers on a 5 ha lake with 11 manned model ships representing 20 vessels, and 4 tugs at scale 1:25 and DGPS tracking system. Instructors are former maritime pilots.
Training on the scale models provides experience that could never be gained on real ships for the simple reason that neither ship-owners nor local authorities would allow such risks to be taken. Scale models allow the shiphandler to make mistakes....

They are very proud at Next Generation Shipyards in Lauwersoog; the brand-new tender for the Dutch Pilotage is ready in the harbor. Costs: 3.5 million euros.

Following in a long line of ever more refined and very seaworthy vessels, this small example of a Safehaven pilot boat has been chosen for operations on and around Scotland’s Cromarty Firth.

Estuary Services crew Andrew Howland (coxswain) and Wayne Goldfinch (deckhand) transferring PLA pilot, Stephen Ford on an approx. eight-mile trip from Ramsgate to board the tanker Songa Breeze at the NE Goodwin pilot boarding ‘diamond’. Departing at 0955 on 20 April 2020, they steered an easterly course to reach the ship by 1030. Weather: wind North Easterly F6, sea state moderate to rough, visibility 10 nautical miles. Footage: ESL Edit: Theo Albanis, Port of London Authority Music:...