Pilot boarding in Klaipeda, Lithuania. Pilot Boat "Minge"

Klaipeda is one among few seaports in Europe, where maritime pilots are able to carry out operations in remote mode. As it is attempted to avoid contact with other persons as much as possible during the quarantine, several trials have already been performed in the seaport. They revealed that such assistance for the vessels sailing in Klaipeda Port is effective and safe.

The Port of Klaipeda in Lithuania has placed an order for two pilot boats in a series to be built by Estonia-based Baltic Workboats. The contract for the vessels has an estimated value of €6.5 million (US$7 million).

Pilot debark from Battleship Texas to pilot boat Galveston following the relocation of the battleship to another pier. There was a second pilot who later debarked from Battleship Texas to pilot boat Texas.

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.

It has been exactly one year ago that a pilot from Sandy Hook (New York), Dennis Sherwood, died in the line of duty while attempting to board the container vessel Maersk Kensington.
What has happened since then? Has safety been improved for the pilots?

Within seconds after the AIS MOB personal locator beacon easyONE-DSC is submerged into the water, the unit activates automatically and starts trasnmitting AIS and DSC alerts into vicinity of up to 7 nauticval miles.
You can also see the bright and strong red LED flare flashing which increases visibility of the victim in darkness drastically.
More product information

This is a video I had captured off U.S Coast from a merchant vessel as the Pilot was transferred from our Ship to Shore via Helicopter.
All recordings were done using N8 (unbelievable clarity!)

Bulker Energy cosmos ( 229/32 m ) swinging and berthing in Rouen ( Normandy - France ) to Soufflet Silo

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.

Tero Vainio has been appointed Finnpilot's Chief Technology Officer CTO). He will take up his position on 4 January 2021.