Ship Pilot boarding

Leaving Honningsvåg Norway aboard the Nieuw Statendam cruise ship in May 2023. Video shows the Pilot leaving the ship.

Like many seafarers I have long been a keen follower of The Nautical Institute’s MARS programme, and along with many other members I listened to the recent webinar on that topic. One theme which was repeated more than once was that it is better to learn from someone else’s misfortune rather than have it happen to you. Having personally been involved in two near misses resulting from unsafe pilot transfer arrangements in a relatively short space of time, I asked how experiences and knowledge specifically about pilot ladder safety could best be promulgated to avoid repeating common accidents or near misses.

Лоцманский катер, выход из Аделаиды, Австралия

• The Dutch pilots offer a contribution to the safe and quick pilotage of ships to and from the Dutch ports and the Flemish ports on the Scheldt River. Each year, they assist about 100,000 ships. • Loodswezen aims to play a leading role by excelling in terms of service provision, training and education, efficiency, technology and customer satisfaction. • The highly-trained maritime pilots and other staff members work closely together to ensure safe and efficient operations in all...

This is one common method to board the pilot. And here it is a special boat which is very fast with new technology

In it´s August 2022 monthly safety scenario, the Swedish Club describes an accident where a pilot had fallen into the water, after one of the side ropes of the ladder broke.

Passing a centercons.ole entering Government Cut

Among the few marine professions that purse a man's technical skills and value very high, maritime piloting perhaps is in a class of its own. In this career, the pilot is entrusted to maneuver vessels through some of the most challenging and congested waterways while ensuring seamless integration between shipboard operations and port infrastructure.