Departing a 159,000 tonne 274 metre long tanker at the Humber Pilot station

This is a video of the cruise ship pilot boat that picks up the pilot once he has navigated the ship out of the port. This is a requirement of all cruise ships coming into and leaving out of ports. We also noticed them at the Bahamas. I was able to capture this one on my last cruise leaving out of Port Canaveral... watch as the pilot jumps from the cruise ship to the pilot boat while both are moving! :)

Enjoy the tour from Bridge to Pilot ladder, disembarking of Danpilot.

Mississippi River Pilot transfer off of south bound ship in the Mississippi River below New Orleans to a Pilot Boat. Pilots climb down rope ladder onto the top of the Pilot Boat while both boats are underway.

Hardest part of getting on board of a ship is climbing up on a maximum height of pilot ladder as 9m. Vessel on that video is a 27kdwt bulk carrier in ballast condition bound for İstanbul strait northbound passage.

It has been exactly one year ago that a pilot from Sandy Hook (New York), Dennis Sherwood, died in the line of duty while attempting to board the container vessel Maersk Kensington.
What has happened since then? Has safety been improved for the pilots?

harbor pilots disembarking in Hong Kong
container ships - IKARIA and YM Excellence

Interesing film about the work of the Laurentian Pilotage Authority (Canada).

Manoeuvring large ships at close quarters and on shallow water is one of the most difficult aspects of shiphandling because of the complex hydraulic interactions depending on the ships' speeds, on the water depth and on lateral restrictions like in canals. Training is conducted both on meeting and on overtaking ships in shallow waters. This video shows how overtaking in a canal should be conducted: come in close to the stern and then move away from the bow that will be sucked towards your...