Land and Sea: Sea Harbour Pilots

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.

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

MALDIVES PILOTAGE

Time Lapse Video: An inbound LNG carrier arrives at the Port of Rotterdam. At sea, in the Eurogeul channel, two maritime pilots have joined the vessel. Between the breakwaters four harbour tugs (Smit Harbour Towage) make fast to assist her manoeuvre. In the Beerkanaal channel the LNG carrier is stopped and swung before entering the Nijlhaven harbour. While approaching LNG Jetty 1 the ship's mooring lines are taken ashore by mooringboats (Koninklijke Roeiers Vereeniging Eendracht).
Pilot...

It turns out that supertankers and cruise ships have valets. They're called maritime pilots, and they're among the most elite ship handlers in the world. So where does one go to learn how to park the largest ships in the world? To the Maritime Pilots Institute in Covington, La. There, they use mini-versions of the behemoth boats to teach the basics. All aboard!

The container ship "Mumbai Maersk" ran aground off the island of Wangerooge. A first rescue attempt failed.

The crew of a pilot boat rescued a 47-year-old colleague from the North Sea during a severe storm and darkness. The pilot fell overboard early on Sunday morning.

“Find your passion, set goals and commit to them.” Sound advice from Port of Cape Town’s Ellen Moletsane, who recently earned her Open Licence as a marine pilot.

In last night's first episode of our second TV series, Dover 24/7: Britain's Busiest Port, viewers saw Duty Harbour Master and trained Class 1 Pilot, Guy South, board the cargo vessel AAL Antwerp on her inaugural call to Dover after an incredible 92-day voyage from China.