Mega Container Ship Berthing | Ship Docking | Job of a Marine Pilot | Merchant Navy

This expert article is based on a presentation given by Capt. Pilot Sven Stemmler at the MCN's (Maritimes Cluster Norddeutschland e. V. ) event ‘On the Future of the Pilot Profession’ at Fraunhofer CML in Hamburg on 9 September 2025.

Brisbane-based Poseidon Sea Pilots has contracted local Queensland shipbuilder, Norman R.Wrights & Sons to build million of dollars in pilot boats.

Today, we embark on a voyage into the intricate world of ship types. From massive container ships to nimble oil tankers, we'll explore the unique challenges each vessel presents.

I decided to show the typical happenings when a saltwater freighter arrives Duluth. Most of the time they go to anchor and wait for the Elevator dock. The Pilot Boat brings out the Great Lakes Pilot to sail the ship into the port and to the dock. This vessel arrived early Sunday morning, went to anchor until mid afternoon. They are loading grain at the CHS Elevator in Superor.

Pilot-Guard is a global pilot safety network that enables the real-time exchange of safety-related information between organisations around the globe on non-compliant pilot transfer arrangements (nc-pta) of vessels.

What a great pleasure to meet these guys at the harbour - they could not have been more helpful and forthright about their work. At first glance, the glide of these orange powerboats up and down Belfast Lough seems an almost effortless task, but close up this is a very skilled trade and constant management of risk 24/7 in high and low seas, jumping from ship to boat to land taking safe control of the great volume of steel vessel coming in and out of this busy port. Though a hub of...

Delivering the pilot to the Aurora Tanker in Brunei Darussalam.

16m Pilot Boat "Sever" built by Holyhead Marine in 2012. Length 16.5m Beam 5.3m Draught 1.3m Main Engines Twin Scania DI16 600 BHP @ 1800 RPM Transmission Twin Disc “Quickshift” MGX-5135SC Gearboxes Propellers Five bladed Maximum Speed 26 knots Client – Sydney Ports Corporation, Australia.

OHB subsidiary LuxSpace’s satellite for global ship monitoring has reached its target orbit.