History: Pilot Boat Tragedy (1939)

Many people wonder how ships made it across entire oceans without getting lost in the seventeenth century. Aaron introduces seventeenth century navigation to us today by beginning with piloting.

Look at Life - City of Sailors - Portsmouth - 1965
Portsmouth is no longer the sea-faring city it once was; this film from the Documentary Series "Look At Life" Volume 5 - Cultural Heritage in 1965 looks at its changing face.

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.

A pilot boat is a type of boat used to transport maritime pilots between land and the inbound or outbound ships that they are piloting.

Dublin Port Company has taken delivery of a new Pilot Boat, named DPC Tolka. The state-of-the art vessel arrived in Dublin Port having set sail from Great Yarmouth via Lowestoft, Dover, Gosport, Plymouth, Falmouth and Milford Haven.

Drone footage from King's Lynn.

Based in Estonia, Baltic Workboats is a long-tenured boatbuilder for multiple markets, including the demanding pilot boat sector. Late in 2025 in New Orleans BWB debuted a new hybrid electric 17m model, a boat that leans on more than 15 years of accrued experience building larger hybrid electric vessels. Carl Mahler, BWB’s North American sales lead and a harbor pilot himself, discussed with Maritime Reporter TV the value proposition offered by the shipyard, from manufacturing process to...

Vessel's details: IMO: 9496915 Name: POLARIS Vessel Type - Generic: Pilot Vessel Vessel Type - Detailed: Special Vessel Status: Active MMSI: 245142000 Call Sign: PBZN Flag: Netherlands [NL] Gross Tonnage: 2501 Summer DWT: 890 t Length Overall x Breadth Extreme: 81.2 x 13.3 m Year Built: 2012 Home Port: ROTTERDAM Geo location: 51.980840, 4.112364

I think this is one of my favorite Marine Pilots' pictures of the year. Very powerful. What a dynamic photo! The moment was instantly caught by the photographer.

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