iTalk by Ms Reshma Nilofer, Sector Pilotage Services

Footage showing what the simulators look like and how they can be used to simulate ship movement in various ports.

SWATH and SWASH are interesting technologies that allow a vessel to sail much more calmly in high waves. A stable and calm position of the ship is especially important for pilot boarding.

Maritime pilots trace the roots of their profession back to the ancient Greeks and Romans when incoming ship captains employed experienced local fisherman to guide their merchant vessels safely into port. It’s a legacy of skill, strength, and sharp wits, and our Houston Pilots (“Pilots”) have been meeting vessels at Galveston’s bar to carry on these proud traditions for just shy of 100 years.

Tom Mellor - C​hairman of the IHO Electronic Navigational Chart Working Group (ENC WG) and Head of Digital Standards at the UKHO - explains what the IHO's ECDIS and ENC Standards mean.

Ships don't exactly have brakes. Lou Vest, a retired Houston ship channel pilot tells us about a close encounter between a ship and a barge.
https://houstonmaritime.org

No giggling, we’re serious about crotch straps at the RNLI. Why? Because crotch straps make your lifejacket perform better and keep you safer for longer. Our top tips for fitting your lifejacket crotch straps: 1. Always fit the crotch straps securely. 2. If you end up in the water, tighten the straps to take up any slack. Remember, correctly adjusted crotch straps will help keep your head above water. Get more water safety advice at: http://bit.ly/RNLIcheckBA

The Los Angeles Pilot Service ordered two customized 56′ Camarc Design pilot boats (P/B) built by Vigor Industrial at their Vancouver, WA facility, located on the northern side of the Columbia River. The LA Pilot Service took delivery of the P/B Angels Pilot and Angels Navigator at Vigor’s shipyard on Swan Island in Portland, Oregon in early October.

Watch this video to get a behind-the-scenes look into training aboard our Pilot Cutter with Alexandra Pearson, Marine Operations Assistant at Shoreham Port.

During high wind conditions it is sometimes required to transfer pilots from the Pilot Station Vessels to incoming ships. In this case the NHV Dauphin Helicopter came to collect a pilot an d luggage form the PROCYON at Maascenter pilot station.

The Associated Federal Pilots in Metairie, LA, has ordered a Chesapeake Class pilot boat from Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation. The pilots’ first launch, built by the Mass.-based shipyard, is scheduled for delivery in July 2021.