Accommodation Ladder Load Testing

Watch and learn how a pilot boards a container ship before entering port.
In this video, a container ship bound for Houston, Texas is boarded by a Houston Pilot before entering the Houston Ship Channel.
#maritime #HoustonPilots #houstonshipchannel

Over the course of 4 days this August, I was afforded the opportunity and privilege of riding with the Savannah Bar Pilots for an article I was writing for a major maritime magazine. The pilots are given the responsibility of boarding a vessel in the Atlantic Ocean and safely navigating the vessel up the Tybee Road 9 (a name for the shipping lane that leads into the Savannah River), into the Savannah River, and into the Port of Savannah. The same is done in reverse when a ship is outbound...

The Coast Guard Office of Investigations and Analysis has released Marine Safety Alert 05-21, to notify mariners to a potentially dangerous situation involving corrosion of the turntable pin on accommodation ladders.

Jacobsen Pilot Service and Los Angeles Pilot Station published a notice to all ships to inspect pilot ladders before the pilot boards.

Reason is an incident happened at the port of long beach in July 2020. Pilot ladder rope broke while the pilot was on the ladder - luckily the pilot was able to hold on.

Ship Pilot Changing | https://youtu.be/tNunUft6aOo

MV Astoria, Dunkirk

Dublin Port Company (DPC) of Ireland has taken delivery of a new pilot boat from UK-based Goodchild Marine Services. DPC Dodder is the second pilot boat in a series to be built by Goodchild Marine for the same owner.

This survey on pilot ladder safety was initiated by Ewan Rattray. It is supported and recommended by well-known heads of the #dangerousladders Facebook group like Kevin Vallance, Arie Palmers and others.