San Francisco Shipping, Bar Pilot Transfer

We had an amazing opportunity to go on a pilot boat with Captain Erick Gallagher and Captain Danny Gallagher, where we got a peek into their exciting jobs! Pilot boats transport maritime pilots between land and inbound or outbound ships. Video by bluewater.org, Blue Water Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

We bid farewell to our Otaru marine pilot just outside Otaru Harbor, Japan. The crew of the pilot tug were particularly fastidious about not marking up the side of the Viking Orion during the operations, spraying the interface with water, even though that might have made the transfer more hazardous for the pilot. From the Viking Orion, October 2024

These are images that no one wants to see. How can people take such a risk and behave so unprofessionally? Purely a matter of luck whether you come home again in the evening!

According to information from Simon Pelletier, President of IMPA, it was resolved at the IMO Maritime Safety Committee 106 on 08.11.2022 to open up the SOLAS Convention for amendment in respect of pilot boarding arrangements.

Going down the accommodation ladder with neither lifevest nor safety line must have been based on similar, past, successful operations, which may have never been challenged on board. This ‘slippage’ in safety is a pernicious and common phenomenon.

Compulsory pilotage will now be required for dry cargo and passenger vessels over 3,000 gross tonnes and tankers of 1,000 gross tonnes transiting eastern Hong Kong waters to and from the area of Yantian Container Terminals and Dapeng LNG Terminals, according to a Hong Kong Government Ordinance.

Ocean Pacific Marine of Vancouver Island BC have been awarded a contract to build and deliver a state of the art 19.9m Pilot Boat for the Pacific Pilotage Authority. The new craft will be all-aluminium construction and built to Lloyd’s Class in accordance with Transport Canada regulations. Designed by Camarc from their Scotland office, this vessel represents the latest in cutting edge pilot boat technology.

A video of a fellow captain at my work giving me my very first ride in the companies jet pilot boat. Im impressed.