Retired Houston channelpilot Lou Vest: "My Maritime Story"

Watch and learn how a pilot boards a container ship before entering port.
In this video, a container ship bound for Houston, Texas is boarded by a Houston Pilot before entering the Houston Ship Channel.
#maritime #HoustonPilots #houstonshipchannel

What exactly is a ship channel pilot? 30-year pilot Lou Vest tells us the ins and outs of what a ship channel pilot does, why they're important, and how to become one (if you're lucky!).
https://houstonmaritime.org

Time lapse video showing Houston Pilotage with Oil/Chemical Tanker Ship: Kastav - Oil / Chemical Tanker Area: Houston Camera: Go Pro Hero 3 BE Copyright: The Sea Lad *To use this video in a commercial player or in broadcasts, please contact Us* You can find Us on: FB: https://www.facebook.com/thesealad YouTube: https://goo.gl/PcwM6k Google+:https://goo.gl/kHOOO9 Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thesealad Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheSeaLad1 Seafarers Jobs: http://jobatseas.blogspot....

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.

Manoeuvring large ships at close quarters and on shallow water is one of the most difficult aspects of shiphandling because of the complex hydraulic interactions depending on the ships' speeds, on the water depth and on lateral restrictions like in canals. Training is conducted both on meeting and on overtaking ships in shallow waters. This video shows how overtaking in a canal can easily fail.
More information: http://www.portrevel.com/3781-shiphan...

To minimize the risk of a vessel allision with a terminal gantry crane, the American Harbor and Docking Pilots Association recommends that all terminal operators with gantry cranes adopt the following Best Practices.

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.

On the occasion of the Maritime Safety Week (July 4-10), UK MAIB’s inspector Bill Evans refers to the issue of unsafe pilot ladders, a concern that has been regularly voiced by the industry.

Charleston Harbor pilots play crucial role in safely navigating ships to port

Tug boats and a digger struggle to free a mega cargo ship, blocking one of the world's busiet shipping pathways.
Dozens of ships are stuck because a container ship almost half a kilometre long is wedged across the waterway.