Pilotage and mooring operation - work at sea

Pilot Boat 68 heads out in choppy seas in the Dardanelles

Information video: How to become a Marine Pilot.

At the A&R shipyard in Germany, the successful principle of SWATH boats was further developed in 2013: The SWASH principle allows sea-going, smaller and more economical boats.

It has been shown that a majority (51%) of pilot ladders is secured by means of D-shackles, when secured at intermediate length. Previous research (Evans, 2020) has proven that this method has only about 50% of the strength of the pilot ladder when secured at full length (“double ended ladder”), or by means of the “endless-sling” method.

SOLAS/IMO/IMPA Regulations require additional safety measurements for pilot's boarding and disembarkation since recently. These magnetic holders of two types, one is manually set and the other is a remotely controlled one, fixes both pilot ladder and accommodation ladder (gangway) strongly onto the hull of the ship. Thus, the pilot can climb more safely. We are negotiating with ISO, IMO, IMPA etc in order to standardize these items for pilot safety.

Video by Capt. Pilot Herman Broers, Netherlands.
Inbound with CHIOS LUCK 188m, to Waalhaven Buoy 29 for discharging woodchips from Mobile Alabama. #loodswezen #portofrotterdam

Australian Capital Territory Section Technical Meeting
November 2021, online via Zoom

"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..."

Who knows the S-100 / S-102 electronic card standard? An introduction by the Maritime Simulation and Resource Centre, Canada