Maritime Pilots' Institute

It takes all sorts of roles to ensure safe and successful operations at Aberdeen Harbour. Meet Finn, a Marine Pilot, and find out why he enjoys working at the port...

Today i tagged along on the pilot boat Pacific Pathfinder and her sister ship the Pacific Chinook to film their annual Man Overboard drills and re certification. It was a pleasure to watch the crews working together to demonstrate how fast they can save a life. Filmed using a DJI Mini 2 If you are interested in purchasing a Mini here is a link to my DJI affiliate program. https://click.dji.com/AFpMBjgnYfRjCViNU2HZ_g?pm=link All video footage is owned by Northcoast Drone and it can be...

"A performance assessment tool for maritime pilotage operations" - by Jørgen Ernstsen, Norway
When the ship is approaching or leaving a port, a local navigational expert, the pilot, is often provided for assisting the bridge team to safely and efficiently navigate the littoral waters.

This study presents a novel decision support process for a pilot dispatching problem in the St. Lawrence River. It integrates a comprehensive set of time-based performance measures, including working time, waiting time, and skill level differences, to optimize fairness and operational efficiency in pilot dispatching.

Practical samples for manoeuvres for ships going astern - as Stern-First-Method SFM. Introduction using as sample from the Master Thesis by Karel Wiegert for an arrival manoeuvre of a cruise vessel in Southampton port with a Twin-screw vessel under strong current. The same manoeuvre with the same ship model was used to show the advantage of Fast Time Simulation FTS using the SAMMON Planning Tool. This goes much faster than the manoeuvres in the real time simulator - and it can even be...

This updated video shows how easy it is to develop an arrival plan with the SAMMON Planning Tool. As a sample the arrival from appraoch until the berth to Ft. Lauderdale is used under strong current of 2kn. At the simulator training courses where we used this tool for preparation of a manoeuvring plan during the briefing sessions all nautical officers involved stated afterwards: "Why don't we have this tool on our ships?"

This research paper could be useful tool for marine pilots as well during the risk analysis of STS manoeuvrings. In light of the findings of the research, STS manoeuvres may be effectively planned in order to improve overall safety and avoid the unexpected incidents. On the other hand, there is a dearth of literature on STS operation. As a result, this work has a significant input on the current literature.

Two new locks were introduced in 2009 for training in the new Panama lock conditions with or without tug(s). This video shows the famous "piston effect" when entering the lock at an impressive speed of 10 knots with a high blockage factor.
Port Revel provides shiphandling training using manned models for maritime pilots, masters and officers: http://www.portrevel.com

NTSB issued an investigation report on the contact of tow William C with a Rock Island railroad bridge protection cell, on Des Plaines River, in January 2020. The investigation established that high speed prevented the pilot to correct the tow’s position after completing the transit through the previous bridge.

Built in 1980, the Maguelonne pilot boat, historical ship of the pilots of Sète, is getting a new look and swapping its thermal engine for a 100% electric propulsion. It is within the framework of the Green Pilot project, led by the MGH company, supported by its partners, the Occitanie Region and the Port of Sète-Frontignan, and with the participation of the pilot stations of Sète and Marseille-Fos, that the e-Maguelonne is born.
The maritime pilots lead the ships to the entrance of the...