KITTIWAKE ( MMSI 232008570) is a Pilot and currently sailing under the flag of United Kingdom (UK) Here she is speeding down the River this morning.

pilot boat

Ship receiving pilot at the pilot station and proceeding to jetty.

returning to her St.Helier base

Recently, Herman Broers launched the website PilotladderSafety.com.
This website’s goal is to increase pilot ladder safety by showing good practice examples regarding the rigging and use of pilot ladder arrangements . Do it right the first time!

Ultra Large Container Vessel EVER GIVEN ran aground in Suez Canal north of Suez, at around 0600 UTC Mar 23, shortly after entering Canal in northbound convoy.

Editors note: There was a reason why this idea of a kind of ladder-elevator did not become accepted!

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.