Piloting a 190 meter Bulker with 2 tugs

A pilot boat is a type of boat used to transport maritime pilots between land and the inbound or outbound ships that they are piloting.

According to many training experts, including Malcom Gladwell, from his book Outliers: Story of Success, 10.000 hours is the point in which a standard professional acquires the qualities necessary to perform any work with master skill.

Electronic warfare in the Baltic Sea is escalating rapidly, with GPS and AIS disruptions posing growing risks to maritime navigation. Russia’s hybrid strategy is targeting both safety and stability in one of Europe’s most critical shipping regions. Pilots and crews now face a new reality: navigating under threat.

Who pays when a pilot is injured on a ladder that should never have been rigged?
An opinion piece by Arie Palmers, maritime pilot, the Netherlands

The international pilots association Impa is sounding the alarm about unsafe pilot ladders. According to the pilots, a worldwide survey has shown that access to the ship via the pilot's ladder often does not comply with the regulations.

Issues like the Covid 19 crisis and the moves towards increased autonomy appear to be driving a renewed interest in Shore Based Pilotage (SBP), nowadays often called Remote Pilotage.

A small video tutorial showing some useful tips for pilotage using Transas Pilot PRO application for iPad

Gavin Buchanan on YouTube: "Some of the best Ship Handling videos available online. Studying for my Master 3000 and have found these videos incredibly helpful. Thank you for making these free for students!"

The pilots make docking mega-ships look easy despite the meteorological disturbance.
Great pictures from Morocco

Around 11 am local time yesterday (21 February), a pilot fell into the sea while boarding the feeder vessel Blue Ocean, which is operated by Shanghai Jinjiang Shipping on a China-Taiwan service.