The Ampelmann L-type gangway system

There are many things in both our everyday and professional lives which we take for granted and never question the origins of, an example of this might be the IMPA recommended ‘pilot mark or pilot line’, which is sometimes seen on the side of vessels indicating where a vessels freeboard exceeds 9 metres.

Watch and learn how a pilot boards a container ship before entering port.
In this video, a container ship bound for Houston, Texas is boarded by a Houston Pilot before entering the Houston Ship Channel.
#maritime #HoustonPilots #houstonshipchannel

Editor's note: The pilot boarding seems a bit improvised and unsafe to me, but that's certainly business as usual, isn't it?

Next generation of Navigation. This video shows the new technologies put up on Navigation. #ecdis #lifeatsea #seafarer

Look at Life - Icebreakers - Keeping Shipping Routes Open from 1966
Another of the Look at Life Documentaries - Volume One - Transport - Breaking the Ice - from March 1966 - Taking a look at the Icebreakers responsible for keeping shipping routes open.

#dockingship #marinepilot Docking a Mega ship in a busy port requires an experienced marine pilot to ensure safe ship docking operation. This video is an excellent overview of how marine pilot manoeuvres a ship into the port. Manoeuvring is an operation during which a vessel enters or exits coastal waters of a country, crosses several ships on the way, and proceeds towards or departs from a berth or jetty of a port. Shot By an experienced marine pilot Syatibi Azhari, who assisted MSC Ambra,...

For as long as ships have been sailing the seas, there have been maritime pilots to guide them through the most dangerous waterways. But there is a worldwide shortage of seafarers and the industry is struggling to attract young people into the profession. Our Business Correspondent Sarah Corker has been given rare access to film with pilots on the Humber Estuary who work 365 days a year, whatever the weather. And a warning, Sarah’s report may make you feel sea sick.

Study from 2015: Psychological stressors, in addition to the physical demands associated with the role (e.g., reduced sleep, boarding, and departing vessels), may over time have a damaging effect on pilots' physical and mental health.