There are many things in both our everyday and professional lives which we take for granted and never question the origins of, an example of this might be the IMPA recommended ‘pilot mark or pilot line’, which is sometimes seen on the side of vessels indicating where a vessels freeboard exceeds 9 metres.

During the transit time on the pilot launch between the shore and the vessel, marine pilots will spend at least a portion of that time carrying out (either consciously or subconsciously) a risk assessment of the forthcoming operation.

Over the past few years a number of pilot transfer accidents have occurred resulting from total failure of the side ropes, one school of thought is that the methods of securing a pilot ladder is a factor in such occurrences.

"Analysis of reports indicates that pilot ladders (Pilot Transfer Arrangements, or PTAs) and
intentional deviations from safety procedures remain the main causes of near misses..."

Good initiave: A very good summary about Pilot Ladder commpliance by BW group.
Some are aware and are going the extra mile for the safety of pilots, a big shout out for those who do! Worth reading.

Harbour pilots perform tricky operations boarding big cruise ships from fast pilot boats. Auckland and Malta.

#pilotboat #ship #seafarer
Pilot boat Virginia
Buhay seaman
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With a long tradition in building high performance vessels using composite material Hart Marine now produces some of the finest pilot boats available. European Design. Australian built. hartmarine.com.au

Vessels are being stranded at ports on the river due to the lack of pilots and the line-up of vessels forced to wait in the anchorage outside the estuary is increasing rapidly. Owners are unclear how long the problem will last