The life of a Deep Sea Pilot by Roger Francis

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.

Look at Life Vol 01 Transport Pilot Aboard 1963
The story of Britain's pilotage services.

The Maryland Pilots have guided ships to and from Baltimore since the 1700's. They have been chartered as an organization since 1852. This is an edited except from films about the Pilots shot between 1950-1965 for the Port that Built a City and State. The original films are in the archives of the Baltimore Museum of Industry.

“Piloting the vessels was there since there was a sea transportation” This is one of the most popular and might be most proud phrase for pilots. During the maritime history, piloting the vessels evolved in many aspects, however main core is never changed; trustworthy colleague from neighbourhood will be close by for safe passage.

What a great pleasure to meet these guys at the harbour - they could not have been more helpful and forthright about their work. At first glance, the glide of these orange powerboats up and down Belfast Lough seems an almost effortless task, but close up this is a very skilled trade and constant management of risk 24/7 in high and low seas, jumping from ship to boat to land taking safe control of the great volume of steel vessel coming in and out of this busy port. Though a hub of...

At one point, the Captain on the Ship while being highly respected, also carried great responsibility and had the ultimate accountability for everything on board. But this respect, responsibility and accountability has not come overnight, or just when the Captain wears his four stripes.

Discover the final hours of packaging and preparations of the ESAIL satellite before it left Luxembourg. The ESAIL microsatellite for tracking ships at sea has completed its latest environmental and system performance tests and set off for Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. On 17 February the satellite left Luxembourg, where it was built by LuxSpace under an ESA Partnership Project with the Canadian operator exactEarth, sponsored by the Luxembourg Space Agency and other ESA member...

Video by Andy Mabbett, UK
A lovely morning for the arrival of the Royal Caribbean International Majesty of the Seas into Portsmouth International Port. Apologies for my basic editing but the overlays in each corner provide an idea of what my tugs azimuth thrusters were doing along the way with the sliders showing engine and propeller power. The Damen Shipyards Group ASD 2411 'MARKSMAN' of SMS Towage is an awesome tug with 70t Bollard Pull. This ensures the customer's v/l is handled safely...

Graham Grant, the Port of Cromarty Firth’s Marine Support Manager, has been appointed to the National Council of the UK Harbour Masters’ Association (UKHMA).

State regulators on Friday banned cargo ship pilots from using personal cellphones on Maryland waters. The Maryland Board of Pilots, which oversees cargo ship pilots, approved a rule change 10 months after, and in direct response to, the Ever Forward's weekslong grounding in the Chesapeake Bay. Instead of leading the team on the bridge of the Ever Forward, the pilot was on his phone for an hour, texting, sending emails and taking screenshots before running aground and getting stuck for 45...