Pilot Boat Approaching in Tallin Estonia Pilot OnBoard

The Bridgemans Services Group has taken delivery of a new search and rescue (SAR) boat that can also be used for pilot transfer, firefighting, and pollution response duties.

Although it cannot be said that ship piloting is the world’s oldest profession, most maritime experts do agree that pilotage does date back to antiquity.

The IMPA Safety Campaign will take place from 16th to 30th May 2025. We encourage all maritime pilots to take part, as your contribution is essential to the success of the campaign!

Lack of standard user interfaces across bridge equipment is a major concern for maritime safety. Pilots are in a unique position, as they are constantly exposed to new and differing bridge working environments, equipment, interface designs and combinations of systems. As pilots face this problem throughout every shift they need to put in considerable effort to adjust their work to the many user interfaces they meet.

"A performance assessment tool for maritime pilotage operations" - by Jørgen Ernstsen, Norway
When the ship is approaching or leaving a port, a local navigational expert, the pilot, is often provided for assisting the bridge team to safely and efficiently navigate the littoral waters.