Pilot on board # 1

It remains a sad fact that accidents and near misses continue to occur during pilot transfers with frightening regularity. Most of these fortunately do not result in injury, and a surprisingly high number of them are not even recognised for what they are.

Surveys into pilot ladder safety consistently reveal that unacceptably high numbers of pilot transfer arrangements are not compliant with the regulations.

Mississippi River Pilot transfer off of south bound ship in the Mississippi River below New Orleans to a Pilot Boat. Pilots climb down rope ladder onto the top of the Pilot Boat while both boats are underway.

This is one common method to board the pilot. And here it is a special boat which is very fast with new technology

Dangerours work as pilot tries to transfer from pilot boat to Cagliarie to Civitavecchia, Italy in May 2023 in moderately rought seas.

Die Lotsenbrüderschaft Elbe ist ein geschlossener Kreis, der sich nicht gern in die Karten schauen lässt. Wer dort Mitglied werden und bis zu 400 Meter lange Containerpötte in den Hamburger Hafen steuern möchte, muss hohe Anforderungen erfüllen. Bewerber müssen mehrere Jahre lang zur See gefahren sein, um ausreichend Fahrpraxis zu haben. Aber es gibt immer weniger deutsche Seeleute, weil die Reeder billigere Kräfte aus dem Ausland bevorzugen. Dadurch wird es zunehmend schwierig,...

It is not often that this blog is used to show bad practice, however in this case some pictures tell a whole story. Ship is compliant by design for rigging a combination. How about the operator(s)?

NQBP is proudly committed to safe shipping - watch as our Marine Pilot, Captain Luke Sorensen explains how he safely manoeuvres a vessel from the PortofHayPoint.
Fact: In 2015-16, 1133 vessels were handled at this NQBP port.

A recent case reported by the International Transport Intermediaries Club (ITIC) underscores how a seemingly minor oversight can lead to significant costs.

Notice by the Editor of Marine-Pilots.com: "The sight of a sinking ship should always make us humble because it helps us to realize how small man is compared to the thousands of tons of steel a ship is made of - and how pale we are in comparison to the great power of the sea. Ships may have a soul, as they have names as well... Their end therefore should make us sad. There´s no fun or joy in watching this.” The vessel was refloated earlier this month following the removal of approximately...