Local Harbour Pilot boat at Ramsgate, Kent, England

Ramsgate RNLI crews were called in to help a pilot boat beached at Broadstairs last night (December 7).

John Willis is checking out the facilities, history and the future of Hart Marine in Mornington as well as Yaringa Boat Harbour.

A few shots from the day, with Elisabeth-S and H&S Fairness plus the pilot boat. I put music to it as it was such a windy day.

The "Brazos Pilot" makes its debut
Brazos Pilot Association President Captain Billy Burns said a good pilot boat is essential to saving lives.
That is the expectation of their newest boat, the "Brazos Pilot": a vessel tailored to fit the job and provide their pilot association with performance dependability and the safety systems integration to fulfill their maritime mission.
Read more here,... http://markets.chroniclejournal.com/chroniclejournal/news/read/37679691

The new 56-ft. Virginia Pilots launch is powered by a pair of Volvo Penta D13 700 hp EPA Tier 3 engines matched with IPS-3 steerable pod drives with forward-facing counter-rotating props. The propulsion system includes Volvo Penta’s EVC electronic steering and control system with a three-axis joystick. Top speed is 33+ knots.

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...

Goodwin Sands, Kent. M/S bows of Trinity House ship "Ready". L/S "Tongue" lightship at sunset. Panning M/S from side to front of service ship (deck level). M/S lightship. M/S bridge of service ship, lightship passes. L/S two ships, pan to lightship. C/U ship's telegraph coming to "stop". M/S seaman pulls fresh water hose to lightship. L/S deck of service ship, general activity. C/U provisions waiting to be transported to lightship. M/S men passing food between ships. L/S side of...

Look at Life - City of Sailors - Portsmouth - 1965
Portsmouth is no longer the sea-faring city it once was; this film from the Documentary Series "Look At Life" Volume 5 - Cultural Heritage in 1965 looks at its changing face.

A pilot boat is a specialized vessel that is used to transport pilots to and from ships that are entering or leaving port. Pilot boats are typically small, fast vessels that are designed to operate in a variety of weather conditions and sea states.