Timelapse: ship departs Newcastle Harbour, NSW

I am not a computer savvy. My knowledge in programming and robotics and those sort of things is nil. I get lost in the sea of social media and easily entangle myself in the web. All I have done for the last 25 years or so is to pilot ships through the Panama Canal. However, during the last couple of years I have done my best to catch up with technology, since it has enhanced our possibilities and improved safety in our field. But still, I have to admit that I am way behind the new guys in this important issue.

Spektakulært forsøk. Vanskelig losoppdrag. Svært fartøy. Trang fjordpassasje. #Kystverket #lostjenesten #sikkerseilas/ Spectacular attempt. Demanding maritime pilotage. Huge vessel. Narrow passage. #norwegaincoastaladministration #safeseaways

Captain Reginaldo Pantoja, AFNI: "Now, as a professional harbour pilot for over 29 years, I try to apply the lessons I learned during these times and also when I worked as a mooring master, tow master, and dock master."

An entire day caught in a time lapse. Up and down the river twice.
Cool prospective 12000 TEU ship Turing min 2:00. !

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.

Based on MAIB Safety Digest 1/2025, Case 12, published April 2025 by the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB).

On March 26, Captain Anne McIntyre received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the California State University Maritime Academy Alumni Association’s 17th Annual Scholarship and Awards Gala. The Lifetime Achievement Award represents the highest honor bestowed by Cal Maritime and awards alumni who have made significant contributions to their industries, their chosen profession, and to the academy over the course of their careers.

Pelican Pilot Boat offered by SC Chambers

The German Bureau of Maritime Casualty Investigation (BSU) published its interim accident report on the containership MUMBAI MAERSK, which ran aground while entering the Weser fairway, on 2 February 2022.

Practical samples for manoeuvres for ships going astern - as Stern-First-Method SFM. Introduction using as sample from the Master Thesis by Karel Wiegert for an arrival manoeuvre of a cruise vessel in Southampton port with a Twin-screw vessel under strong current. The same manoeuvre with the same ship model was used to show the advantage of Fast Time Simulation FTS using the SAMMON Planning Tool. This goes much faster than the manoeuvres in the real time simulator - and it can even be...