Pilot boarding ship - ice bound harbour.

Boarding a vessel at sea can be dangerous. By following simple rules, it can be done safely. This safety video shows you how to leave the launch boat and climb the ladder when boarding vessels at sea safely as well as boarding preparations, safety precautions and boarding under special conditions. The 3 types of boarding arrangements for pilot are also explained. Watch with sound on. Transfers are normally safe when everyone takes all the precautions. If you think it is unsafe, remember to...

Recently Capt. Troy Evans did a research into the breaking strength of various securing methods. To quantify the problem of unsafe practices, now is time to have a survey into the number of the various securing methods used worldwide.

London Pilots (PLA) have issued an excellent quick reference guide for Pilot Transfer arrangements, which can be used for pilots as well as ship’s crews. Please take not of this document and if you can, try to incorporate it into your procedures.

Pilot boarding submarine HNLMS Bruinvis at North East Spit pilot station.
Pilot Captain Chris Renault.

⚓ **Deep Sea Pilot Disembarking from Oil Tanker | Brixham, UK | November 2026** Experience a real-life Deep Sea Pilot disembarkation from an oil tanker off the coast of Brixham, Devon, United Kingdom, in November 2026. This video captures the final stage of a Deep Sea Pilot's voyage, including the pilot transfer from a large oil tanker to a pilot boat. Deep Sea Pilots play an essential role in maritime navigation, guiding commercial vessels through busy shipping routes, including the...

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...

Taken from aboard the MS Westcott Pilot Boat this is the Algoma Harvester receiving mail on the Detroit River as they head downbound in the early evening hours of September 2nd, 2022
I had just been in Cleveland OH for the christening of the Mark W Barker the newest ship for the Interlake Steamship Company and left there on the 2nd to go to Toledo and see the National Museum of the Great Lakes and then I continued on to Detroit where I made this stop at the JW Westcott Company and met up...