Those Who Serve: Columbia River bar pilots risk their lives to guide cargo ships

A maritime pilot, marine pilot, harbor pilot, bar pilot, or simply pilot, is a sailor who maneuvers ships through dangerous or congested waters, such as harbors or river mouths. They are navigational experts possessing knowledge of the particular waterway such as its depth, currents, and hazards.

Watch as a pilot boat approaches and picks up the pilot after escorting the carnival dream from the harbor in Freeport Bahamas

Like many seafarers I have long been a keen follower of The Nautical Institute’s MARS programme, and along with many other members I listened to the recent webinar on that topic. One theme which was repeated more than once was that it is better to learn from someone else’s misfortune rather than have it happen to you. Having personally been involved in two near misses resulting from unsafe pilot transfer arrangements in a relatively short space of time, I asked how experiences and knowledge specifically about pilot ladder safety could best be promulgated to avoid repeating common accidents or near misses.

by "Domonkos Baráth" on YouTube.
Boarding with pilot ladder to Soyo LNG tanker near Cadiz

To minimize the risk of a vessel allision with a terminal gantry crane, the American Harbor and Docking Pilots Association recommends that all terminal operators with gantry cranes adopt the following Best Practices.

Issues like the Covid 19 crisis and the moves towards increased autonomy appear to be driving a renewed interest in Shore Based Pilotage (SBP), nowadays often called Remote Pilotage.

Svitzer, a leading global towage provider and part of Maersk, has today announced that it has signed a 10-year Time Charter Party with FGEN LNG Corporation (FGEN LNG), a wholly-owned subsidiary of First Gen Corporation (First Gen) for the provision of towage and other vessel support services required by FGEN LNG’s Interim Offshore LNG Terminal which will feature a Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) that will be located at the First Gen Clean Energy Complex in Batangas City in the Philippines.

Meet Neil Crysler, a Licenced ship Pilot with the BC Coast Pilots, a company consisting of approximately 105 licensed marine pilots who work with the Pacific Pilotage Authority to keep the British Columbia Coast line safe and healthy. Neil takes pride in his fast paced life as a pilot. His work allows him to be on the water, getting large international tankers safely down our coast line. His work keeps him on his feet, sometimes sending him up the coast at a moment’s notice. Neil has found...

Filmed pilotboat Lesath outbound for her new pickup/drop off ..
These brave man now to bring the ships safe in Port of Rotterdam.
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