Service Pilot Boat To Aurora Tankers

The entrance to Cork Harbour situated on the South coast of Ireland can produce some pretty extreme sea states during the winter storm months. There are two main factors that influence the sea state at the entrance, the first being the ebbing tide, the second being shoaling waters over the Harbour Rock, this is situated at the entrance to the Harbour off Roches Point lighthouse, right in the middle between the Western and Eastern channel entrances.

Pilot Boat Design by ShipMar
More detail at
https://shipmar.com/divisions/harbour-and-terminal/pilot-1350/

South Australian port operator Flinders Ports has expanded its fleet of harbour services vessels with the recent acquisition of a newbuild pilot boat constructed by Hart Marine in the neighbouring state of Victoria.

PILOT STEINBURG (MMSI: 211784710) is sailing under the flag of Germany.
Her length overall (LOA) is 29 meters and her width is 8 meters.

The successful protective measures implemented by Finnpilot Pilotage contributed to ensuring the continuity of Finland’s foreign trade, also amid the coronavirus pandemic. The number of pilotage assignments decreased significantly along with the decline in vessel traffic.

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...".

This video briefly describes the special operation of transfer of marine pilots at sea.

This important topic is still underestimated in shipping! Can you trust your GPS? Your Galileo? Knowing where the ship is and where to sail next is the main task of navigating a ship and is commonly supported by using Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). But what happens if the GNSS gets intentionally disturbed?

On 30 March 2023, a fatal accident occurred in the North Sea near IJmuiden during a pilot transfer from the pilot boat to a seagoing vessel.