History: Lightship (1950)

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.

Step back in time to the height of Britain's maritime influence with this look at the unsung heroes of the shipping industry: the sea pilots. In the 1960s, as global trade patterns shifted and shipping technology began its rapid evolution, British sea pilots remained the vital, trusted guides navigating the world’s most complex waterways. From the treacherous currents of the River Mersey to the bustling ports of the coast, these men held the legal conduct of massive vessels in their hands,...

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

My background Why does a ship need a marine pilot How did we get here b.w.o training and qualification? Background history of Reef Pilots Info on different pilot stations within the Great Barrier Reef Torres Straits with its complex tides Our commute to work - boat & helicopter videos Different types of ships, cargoes and nationalities trading within the Great Barrier Reef Work life onboard.... the good, the bad and the ugly Some trivia and fun facts about mariners’ life at sea

How do marine pilots work? Example: Bringing a bulkcarrier alongside to „Hansaport“ in Hamburg. Here the tugboats „Prompt“, „Resolute“ and „Bulldog“ are involved. The master has to rely on the pilot. One reason is, that he can‘t know how to deal with these tugs. A maneuver like this is only safe, when the pilot has a lot of practical experience. A master who is doing a maneuver like this only about once or twice a month and each time with tugs he doesn’t know in areas he hasn’t been to...

A story I shot on the Delaware river pilots, very cool people who have a very important job. Every cargo ship that has to get anywhere up the Delaware River gets a pilot delivered to it while in the Delaware Bay, who guides it up through the narrow shoals

Look at Life Vol 01 Transport Pilot Aboard 1963
The story of Britain's pilotage services.

The fleets of container vessels storing more than 20,000 TEU is growing. Today the 20,000 TEU Club includes 69 vessels with a total capacity of 1,495,798 TEU.