There are many things in both our everyday and professional lives which we take for granted and never question the origins of, an example of this might be the IMPA recommended ‘pilot mark or pilot line’, which is sometimes seen on the side of vessels indicating where a vessels freeboard exceeds 9 metres.

pilot ship sea boat maritime waves merchantnavy offshore loodswezen
A dutch maritme pilot is boarding a ship to set course in to the Port of Rotterdam.
We are operating 24/7 - 365 days a year to make sure that the ships get in to and out off the port safely.

What a dangerous situation. Never seen that before.

Wind was blowing strong from the NE and the waves were becoming bigger and bigger by the time we reach a new client.
Crew didn't consider the rolling effect about to happen while changing heading in order to give lee when they prepared pilot ladder, so the requested 1.5m above the water was not that good.
I decided to abort and to give the vessel the chance to shorten it. In the next attempt they did it right and I was able to board safe

Tideman Boats, indestructible HDPE workboats

This episode of What's Going On With Shipping examines the videos showing the Brazilian training ship Cisne Branco striking a bridge in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

The maritime sector is experiencing a significant shift due to escalating environmental issues, changing regulatory frameworks, and heightened public demands for sustainability. During this transformation, marine pilots are essential;

SAMMON Lecturing Video describing
"Pivot Point Demonstration"
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SAMMON - the IDEAL tool to identify manoeuvring capabilities of a ship - SAMMON - learning the EFFECTIVE way

Editors note:
Pilot Boat "Döse" built by A&R