Look at Life - Signposts of the Sea (1963)

Many people wonder how ships made it across entire oceans without getting lost in the seventeenth century. Aaron introduces seventeenth century navigation to us today by beginning with piloting.

Look at Life - City of Sailors - Portsmouth - 1965
Portsmouth is no longer the sea-faring city it once was; this film from the Documentary Series "Look At Life" Volume 5 - Cultural Heritage in 1965 looks at its changing face.

This video is another Look at Life Documentary from Volume 1 - Transport - and features the Weather Adviser - a UK Weather ship from April 1965. In all conditions, special ships maintain a constant scientific watch on the weather.

The pilots say that Port Tampa Bay leadership is leaning on them to change policies in ways they say would be less safe.

"Person over board - all pilot boat crewmembers and pilots should be trained in recovery as realistic as possible. Don’t wait for a real emergency to find out that something doesn’t work as intended!"

In a navigation incident, the first line of inquiry would normally cover the bridge watchkeepers. While the human element plays a significant role in these incidents, it is perhaps worth asking, what if some geographic areas are more prone to navigation incidents than others?

Every airport needs its air traffic control but what about the ships in our seaports? Here’s how Port Authority’s VTS teams keep watch 24/7 to keep shipping safe in New South Wales, Australia. ••• Port Authority of New South Wales manages the navigation, security and operational safety needs of commercial shipping in Sydney Harbour, Port Botany, Newcastle Harbour, Port Kembla, Eden and Yamba. With over 6,000 visits from trade and cruise vessels each year, the ports of New South Wales...

Created by Tim Cummins. This is an uncontrolled example of the latest passage plan used by the Pilot Service at Portsmouth International Port.

Version from 1st May 2021: Ships that require the services of a pilot need to ensure that the Pilot Transfer Arrangements (PTA) they provide are in compliance with the requirements prescribed under SOLAS V/23 and IMO Resolution A.1045(27) [as amended by IMO Resolution A.1108(29)].