Berthing Unberthing

The United Kingdom Maritime Pilots' Association (UKMPA) has all been inundated with CV19 communications from all manner of sources in the last few weeks. Here is a condensed collection of information from the UKMPA.

This article was originally published on Baird Maritime (link below)
When a pilot is berthing a ship with the aid of tugs, it sometimes happens that the ship lands heavily and suffers minor damage. More commonly in my experience, it also happens that the crew discover a large dent for which they cannot account ...

"Last legislative session, river pilots committed to making African Americans and other minorities aware of the growing number of career opportunities in Louisiana's maritime industry," said river pilot Captain Lee Jackson in a statement.

The Bollard Pull value, which can be interpreted as the maximum thrust that is developed for a specific amount of time by the propulsion systems of any vessel to the fullest , when it has zero speed in the forward direction, is the criterion that allows us to understand how suitable a tugboat is for a port maneuver or a towing operation.

Pilot boat at Velsen-Noord crew prepares to join cruise ship Norwegian Prima.

In the last couple of years several paid as well as free tools have made it easier than ever to access vessels on a map. Although vessels shown on a map have their place, authorities and industry are understanding the greater potential and value of the underlying AIS data.

The "Navig8 Axinite" is a 184 meter tanker. It is in loaded conditions. two tugs are used. The maneuver consists of backing out using 2 tugs and the ship´s engine, for about 2 and a half ship´s lenghts an then turning to port. After the turn, you can hear me talking with the captain about passing arrangements with an inbound vessel, (another tanker).

The following article appeared in AIMPA magazine number 2 about the strength and testing of pilot ladders : There is much more information about pilot ladders in the AIMPA magazine, second issue, if you wish to read more you can download a copy at the bottom of this post.

On 9 February 2019, near the Port of Hamburg, the EVER GIVEN struck the 25-metre HADAG ferry Finkenwerder, moored at the Blankenese jetty, and severely damaged it. Two minutes after the collision, a ban was imposed on sailing on the Elbe due to strong winds.