Video

Riding with the Savannah Pilots


published on 25 October 2020 1116 -

Found on YouTube. Created by "FL92002".
Over the course of 4 days this August, I was afforded the opportunity and privilege of riding with the Savannah Bar Pilots for an article I was writing for a major maritime magazine. The pilots are given the responsibility of boarding a vessel in the Atlantic Ocean and safely navigating the vessel up the Tybee Road 9 (a name for the shipping lane that leads into the Savannah River), into the Savannah River, and into the Port of Savannah. The same is done in reverse when a ship is outbound for the Atlantic. In my time there, I got on the pilot boat Georgia a number of times and followed the pilots as they got on large ships, such as container ships, break bulk cargo ships, tankers, roll on/roll off ships, and more. In this compilation, we ride the pilot boat out at 37 knots to meet three different ships: 2 inbound container ships and an outbound tanker. In the first scenes, we're en-route to the first ship, which is the container ship Lena-S. Originally, she was the APL Indonesia, but she is now out as a chartered vessel. She was built in 2010 by Jiangsu Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Co. Ltd, China. Her maximum capacity is 4253 TEU, or twenty foot equivalent units. She weighs in at just over 50000 tons, has a length of 860 feet, and a breadth of 108 feet. As we nuzzle up to her port side, the captain of the pilot boat masterfully eases her alongside and matches the 10 knots that the Lena-S is making, so that the pilot and his apprentice can climb the Jacob's Ladder and the gangway to board the ship. After that, we jettison away and await our next inbound arrival. The next ship we see is the container ship NYK Deneb. NYK Deneb was built in 2007 at Hyundai Heavy Industries Ltd. Co, South Korea. Her maximum capacity is 4882 TEU. She weighs in at just under 66000 tons and she is 965 feet in length with a breadth of 108 feet. Once we drop another pilot off with her, we make a quick turn around and meet the outbound tanker ship Stolt Island. She was built in 2009 at Nikolaev Shipyard Okean in Nikolaev, Ukraine. She weighs in at 43593 tons, is 600 feet in length and 108 feet in breadth. As we pull up along her starboard side, we again match her speed so that the off-going pilot can safely climb down the Jacob's Ladder. The work that these pilots do is quite dangerous, as they have to board and disembark from moving vessels at all hours on any given day in all types of weather. Their work is extremely vital to the movement of the vessels, as well as the loading and offloading of their contents. A little bit about the pilot boat Georgia. She was built in 2013 by Kvichak Marine in Seattle. She is 64 feet in length, has a draft of three feet, and she is powered by two 12VM72 MTU engines, with a rated 1450 horsepower each, for a total of 2900 horsepower. She is propelled by a pair of Hamilton H521 water jets, and she can make 37 knots. She is set up to carry two crew members, usually two pilot captains, and seven pilots. There is a day galley, a head, and a bunk room for four pilots. Many thanks go to the Savannah Pilots Association for allowing me onto their boat, as well as the ability to ride on multiple shifts, interview the crew members, as well as helping to set up boarding of other vessels. In the next video, we'll be aboard a vessel headed outbound for the ocean. Stay tuned. If you have any questions about the video, feel free to message me. Comments are welcome.
Savannah, USA

Join the conversation...

Login or register to write comments and join the discussion!
RC
Ricardo Caballero Vega Panama Canal Pilots Association, Panama
on 15 July 2021, 22:50 UTC

I am really glad that you have got a glimpse at what marine pilots do, especially at Savannah. Some of the ships that call at Savannah also transit through the Panama Canal, like the NYK DENEB. Regarding this ship, I am almost certain that her beam is not 108 feet but 106 feet, since the latter is the maximus allowable beam at the Panama Canal old locks is precisely 106 feet, and I have piloted her a few times.

You did an outstanding work making the video, and I am sure it will serve the purpose of portraying a day in a pilots life.

Thanks for sharing, and thanks to the Savannah Pilots for allowing the video be made.

Captain R. Caballero
[show more]
0

Read more...

Video Pilot Transfer - New Zealand (Auckland) & Australia (Melbourne/Fremantle)

published on 21 October 2021

Spotted some Pilot Boats in the Port of Auckland, New Zealand and Melbourne & Fremantle Australia (Port codes: Auckland:NZ AKL ; Melbourne:AU MEL ; Fremantle:AU FRE).

0

Video Pilot Boat "Petrel" (River Mersey)

published on 16 December 2021

River Mersey Pilot Boat going slowly inbound on the river before turning and heading northbound again.

0

Video Pilot Leaving Ship Vigo

published on 31 March 2023

0

Video AIMPA: In conversation with Capt Karanjikar, President

published on 2 February 2021

All India Marine Pilot Association has been formed by a Group of Mariners who care for ’safety and security’ of the Marine Pilots. Although a lot of our Indian seafarers felt the dire need of such a body, it was only after the unfortunate and untimely demise of Capt V P Gupta following his fall from the ladder on 8th August 2019, that pilots and like-minded individuals started expressing their displeasure about the 'Eco-system'. Capt. Virendra Mishra, C.E.O., The Shipping Tribune, had the...

0

Video Ship manoeuvring in port MV Danum 159

published on 13 October 2020

Departing NBCT ,Penang, Malaysia.
#marinepilot #shiphandling #manoeuvre #port #seaman #tug #ship #marine

0

Article The Risks of Remote Pilotage in an Intelligent Fairway - preliminary considerations

by Marine-Pilots.com - published on 1 July 2020

Conference Paper (PDF) by ResearchGate: International Seminar on Safety and Security of Autonomous Vessels (ISSAV) and European STAMP Workshop and Conference (ESWC) 2019, At Helsinki, Finland

0

Video Ghana's first female Marine Pilot

published on 19 October 2022

TV3'S JOSEPHINE FREMPONG tells the story of ghana first female marine pilot flying high the flag of Ghana.
the FIRST FEMALE PILOT to brave all odds and beat the men to it.

0

Video Robust pilot boats of Netherlands and Belgium

published on 7 August 2020

These are some of the reliable sturdy Pilot boats of Netherlands and Belgium to bring and pick up Marine Pilots to and from commercial merchant vessels either inbound or outbound. The Marine Pilots are licensed PROFESSIONALS who have a thorough knowledge of a certain port and they guide the Master/Captain of commercial ships in and out of the foreign Seaport. Location: Steenbank Pilot Station, Flushing/Vlissingen Pilot Station, Wandelaar Pilot Station. Boats in order of appearance in this...

0

Video This requires a ton of skill!

published on 17 January 2023

0