Training the next generation of maritime pilots in the port of IJmuiden (May 2021). They teach them how to use a pilot ladder and what will happen should they fall in the water. Thanks to the pilots involved and the person who filmed.
by Maritime Pilot Abolfazl Farajnezam - published on 8 May 2025
Pilot recruitment has traditionally been based on seniority, and extensive sea experience. However, a more modern approach, hiring younger, motivated candidates with structured training, offers an alternative path with compelling advantages.
Shiphandling discussion about meeting and overtaking situations in a close quarters situation where hydrodynamic effects will come into play between ships. The lecture continues and discusses Bank Effect.
Advanced automation has been highlighted as contributory to several accidents involving modern bridge support systems and automation aiding maritime pilots for maneuvering and navigation. This paper argues for reskilling for automation collaboration.
Qualified pilots are usually employed by the local port or maritime administration, and provide their services to ships for a fee, calculated in relation to the ship’s tonnage, draught or other criteria.
Since 2019, the German Federal Pilotage Chamber (Bundeslotsenkammer, BLK), in cooperation with Hamburg Port Services GmbH (HPS), has been offering a three-day safety training course specifically designed for maritime pilots and pilot boat crews at a training center in Bremerhaven, Germany.
The busy Strait of Messina which separates the island of Sicily from the Italian mainland is now home to a new pilot boat, manufactured by Bellcraft and powered by Volvo Penta’s Inboard Performance System (IPS).