Storm Agnes and pilot boat Safehaven Marine

Impressive to see how the Cork Pilot boat ‘Fáilte’ draws parallel to the bow of the moving Brittany Ferries ferry ‘Pont-Aven’, as it departs Cork harbour on a warm sunny afternoon, on Saturday, October 3rd, 2020. Cork harbour is a beautiful place, with plenty of stunning views to enjoy, while departing for the open sea, enroute to Roscoff, France. This particular sailing was very enjoyable, though quiet, due to coping with the Corona virus, which was managed excellently onboard. The ‘Pont-...

New pilot boat CORUÑA PILOTS 8, build by #SafehavenMarine in Cork, Ireland. The Interceptor 48 is typically powered by twin Volvo D13 500/550hp engines and twin Disc or ZF gearboxes providing the vessel with an operational speed of 24-26kts. The vessel is 15m LOA, with a 4.4m beam and 17,200kg Displacement.
Nueva lancha de Prácticos Coruña, la Prácticos Coruña 8, construída por los astilleros Safehaven Marine en Cork, Irlanda. El tipo de lancha es una Interceptor 48 propulsada por dos...

The entrance to Cork Harbour situated on the South coast of Ireland can produce some pretty extreme sea states during the winter storm months. There are two main factors that influence the sea state at the entrance, the first being the ebbing tide, the second being shoaling waters over the Harbour Rock, this is situated at the entrance to the Harbour off Roches Point lighthouse, right in the middle between the Western and Eastern channel entrances.

In this part two video of the man overboard drill series. In one continuous take and no speed adjustments. You can see once the dummy is launched in the water. How fast the crew can come to a complete stop. The boats captain moves to the stern control station, Deploy the stern scoop and rescue the survivor. All of this happing in less than two minuets. An amazing display of teamwork and skill. Filmed using a DJI Mini 2 If you are interested in purchasing a Mini here is a link to my DJI...

Editors note: A film of a pilot boat has just been published on YouTube with the title "How Dangerous being in a Pilot Boat..." on YouTube. I'm not sure if this really shows a dangerous maneuver, maybe the experts can comment on it here.
But in principle it is problematic to approach the ship in such a small Pilot Boat in the wake from astern and cross the waves there. I remember an accident from Finland in December 2017 where the boat capsized and people died. Is this situation shown here...

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.

Für Lotsen ist es der gefährlichste Moment in ihrem Berufsalltag: bei orkanartigen Böen von einem Frachtschiff eine Strickleiter herunterklettern und auf ein kleines Lotsenboot übersetzen. Mitte Januar 2023 ist ein Lotse bei Borkum ins Meer gefallen und kam mit Unterkühlungen ins Krankenhaus. Erst wenige Tage zuvor verstarb ein englischer Kollege bei diesem Manöver. Hafenlotse Gerhard Janßen und Seelotse Dominik Thieben machen sich für ihren Einsatz bereit. Bei Windstärke acht geht es mit...

As Taiwan’s first female maritime pilot, Huang Chao-ling battles wind and waves every day as she guides ships safely into port. Her profession is high-risk and ultra-specialized, requiring years of experience at sea. Huang’s remarkable career is featured in Episode 50 of "The Soul of the Craftsman," a video series produced by the General Association of Chinese Culture. As strong winds blow and the rope ladder sways, maritime pilot Huang Chao-ling clambers up the ship, so that she can guide...