Pilot Vessel "Golden Gate" under the Golden Gate Bridge

At the end of the disembarking procedure, the pilot jumps on ropes onto the pilot boat. Is this often seen practice safe? Can the pilot resolve the situation better?

VESSEL REVIEW - by Baird Maritime
Seattle, Washington-based boatbuilder Snow and Company has handed over a new all-aluminium monohull pilot boat to the San Francisco Bar Pilots of California.

Chapter 3 from the book "Crossing the Bar, The Adventures of a San Francisco Bay Bar Pilot" by Captain Paul Lobo, available on Amazon (link below)

A pilot ladder is a highly specialized form of rope ladder, typically used on board cargo vessels for the purposes of embarking and disembarking pilots.

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.

Pilot transferring is unsafe and dangerous by Harbor Tug Boat from or to the ship. I analyzed and observed at many ports, Pilots using Harbor Tug Boat for transferring. Where Tug boats decks are not specially designed for the Pilot transferring. This is difficult for the Pilot during Embarkation and specially Disembarkation. Video courtesy Nasir Khan. Find Capt. Pilot Nasir Khan on Marine-Pilots.com: https://www.marine-pilots.com/members/112390

The Pacific Pilotage Authority says: "There is a common misunderstanding amongst vessel operators that vessels built prior to 2012 are exempt from some of the requirements for pilot transfer arrangements. This is incorrect...".

Port Phillip Sea Pilots now have their new website online. The result is impressive. Well done!

This video shows the reality of pilots in Kenya.