A day in the life of a TasPorts' Marine Pilot

Captain Matt Glass, a deputy pilot with the Houston Pilots, boards and guides the UAL Capetown on the Houston Ship Channel from the landing area outside Galveston Bay to the Manchester docks in Houston, a voyage of about 7 hours.

The article was written by Allen Garfinkle, Executive Director – Board of Pilot Commissioners for the Bays of San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun

There are some problems that never seem to go away and one is the perennial difficulties in providing a safe way of getting pilots on and off a ship.

This is a video designed to educate people about pilots and their work. It consists of an animated version and a live action version.

I have had the privilege of being at quite a number of meetings, conferences and seminars, sometimes representing The Netherlands, but mostly representing the Netherlands pilots. I have had many discussions about the role of pilots and pilot organisations, which lead me to write an article “What is the added value of pilotage?”, published in the February 2020 issue of Seaways.

A Sydney harbor pilot boat tries to get a pilot off the MS Amsterdam leaving Sydney on November 28, 2018. Due to the rough weather the pilot boat needed several attempts before the pilot was able to disembark the MS Amsterdam safely.
A Sydney harbor pilot boat tries to get a pilot off the MS Amsterdam leaving Sydney on November 28, 2018. Due to the rough weather the pilot boat needed several attempts before the pilot was able to disembark the MS Amsterdam safely.

The vulnerability of GNSS in shore-based use is definitely different and to be regarded as much more risky than on the high seas.

IMPA has published examples of best practice together with a letter from Capt. Simon Pelletier, President of IMPA.

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

Pilot cutters are used to take pilots between the three pilot stations (at Gravesend, Harwich and Ramsgate) and ships entering or leaving the Port of London.
Three dedicated pilot cutters Patrol, Guide and our hybrid Leader are based at Gravesend. The six cutters used at Ramsgate are operated by a Estuary Services Limited, which is jointly owned by the PLA and Medway Ports Ltd.