From Dusk to Dawn - SOHAR Port

Container ship @ Port of Sohar

Transnet National Ports Authority’s (TNPA) Port of Ngqura customers can count on experienced piloting services when their vessels are being moved in and out of the port. Ngqura boasts the services of Marine Pilot Ziggy (Siegfried) Duwe (62), who has achieved more than 4,000 ship movements in the last 12 years. He is the first pilot with this accomplishment in Algoa Bay, according to company records.

Let us start a journey back in time. Back to the black and white films of history. The times have changed, but it is good to know what kind of things have changed and where are the roots of pilotage.

On a windy morning, the incoming bulker HEIDE OLDENDORFF transited the Eurochannel underway to the EECV jetty west side, at 18 meters draft. With the assistance of FairPlay Towage, KRVE linesmen, and the excellent crew of the ship, we had. Very pleasant voyage.

It’s my first voyage taking over solo watch as a navigating officer – from bridge commands to monitoring traffic and weather, every second counts. Once we arrive in Ningbo, it’s straight into cargo operations, intense mooring work, and pilotage.

How do marine pilots work? Example: Bringing a bulkcarrier alongside to „Hansaport“ in Hamburg. Here the tugboats „Prompt“, „Resolute“ and „Bulldog“ are involved. The master has to rely on the pilot. One reason is, that he can‘t know how to deal with these tugs. A maneuver like this is only safe, when the pilot has a lot of practical experience. A master who is doing a maneuver like this only about once or twice a month and each time with tugs he doesn’t know in areas he hasn’t been to...

Pilot boat at Velsen-Noord crew prepares to join cruise ship Norwegian Prima.

Safety of Navigation vs. Commercial Pressure / ROMEILs Tv Commercial Pressures impacts the safety of the vessel, study says Seafarers are pressured to keep quiet and keep the ship moving by ship operators, who dont want to lose inccome. Ship's officers who bring safety issues to the attention of management are exposed to the risk of retaliation. As whistle-blowers they may face punishment, demotion or even termination. International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots (MM&P) has...

AURIGA Group on Friday announced it had appointed the first female pilot in its business, as well as the first female leader of a reef pilotage business.

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch’s (MAIB) has published their latest annual report showing that pilot ladders remain a safety issue for workers.