A day in the life of a TasPorts' Marine Pilot

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

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.

Clint Winegar, Presiding Officer, Houston Pilots, discusses the organization in the round, explaining how the Houston operation remains one of three in the country that still utilizes station boat.

The 160 pilots allotted to the PZ are distributed in eight pilot companies responsible for attending ships that seek the ports or terminals of Santana (AP), Munguba (PA), Santarém (PA), Trombetas (PA), Juruti (PA) and Itacoatiara (AM), as they sail upriver (against the current).

The individual pilot operates as part of a pilotage organisation. And, as with so many things, the whole is (much) more than the sum of the parts ...

Manoeuvring large ships at close quarters and on shallow water is one of the most difficult aspects of shiphandling because of the complex hydraulic interactions depending on the ships' speeds, on the water depth and on lateral restrictions like in canals. Training is conducted both on meeting and on overtaking ships in shallow waters. This video shows how overtaking in a canal can easily fail.
More information: http://www.portrevel.com/3781-shiphan...

Pilot leaves the Regent Seven Seas Navigator at Halifax

The Louisiade People's Foundation (LPF) has raised serious concern that a Pilotage Service Expression of Interest advertisement has been done without much consultation with the people of the Jomard Passage.

The Australian company Hart Marine specialises in building pilot and patrol boats of the highest quality.This is not surprising, as the owner's father, Mal Hart, was a harbour master and therefore very familiar with the requirements of a pilot boat.