Personal Locator Beacons (PLB) and other individual MOB devices have been available for some years now and have evolved to incorporate a variety of different alerting methods and combinations. However, usage of these additional enhancements within UK Pilotage is still in its infancy.

SeaSafe - Marine pilot falling off a ships ladder with his integrated life jacket coat

"Rope Ladders" by PTR Holland

RightShip continues its webinar series on pilot ladder arrangements. On September 18th, they´re asking two marine pilots to share their first-hand perspectives on pilot ladder arrangement best practices.

Boat to boat Pilot transfer, to the Pilot Vessel Golden Gate, under the Golden Gate Bridge.

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.

長崎県に入港するクルーズ船「ダイヤモンド・プリンセス」を誘導していた水先人の男性が海に転落し、男性はその後、死亡が確認された。 死亡したのは、水先人の大須賀祥浩さん(69)。 長崎海上保安部によると、5日午前5時半ごろ、パイロットボートから無線で「客船に移乗させる際にパイロットが海中に転落した」と通報があった。 大須賀さんは長崎港の入り口付近で海に転落し、クルーズ船の救命艇に救助されたが、およそ2時間後に死亡が確認された。 男性は5日に長崎に入港したクルーズ船「ダイヤモンド・プリンセス」を誘導する業務にあたっていた。

A 35-year-old male sea pilot of the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) fell into the sea from a crude oil tanker near the N Shed Wharf in the port of Durban. A rope of the pilot ladder is said to have snapped for an undetermined reason when the man disembarked while leaving the crude oil tanker which was leaving the port of Durban.

While in many western countries of the world, pilots there have already been preferentially vaccinated against COVID-19, pilots in other countries such as Malaysia are struggling to get vaccinated.