Pilot boat in the port of Burgas

Earlier this year ABP announced an investment of around £9 million to build nine new pilot boats. These vessels were ordered from Goodchild Marine Services Limited and are being built in Norfolk along with much of the supply chain coming from East Anglian suppliers.

P&O Maritime Logistics, the port and marine services subsidiary of UAE-based global port operator DP World, has taken delivery of a new all-FRP pilot boat for operation in the waters of Dubai.

Pilot boats are an essential part of our maritime world where they provide safe passage for ships to and from the harbor. The Swedish Maritime Administration (SMA) has 23 pilot stations in Sweden.

Pilot launch Griffiths onboard and off Point Lonsdale, Victoria, Australia.
Ship spotting at Point Lonsdale and other water activities by Wally on Water.

The Port Phillip Sea pilots launch Torquay out and back again, seen at Point Lonsdale, Vic, Aust.
Ship spotting at Point Lonsdale and other water activities by Wally on Water.

Shipping has evolved significantly over the years. Research in maritime safety and operations over the past few decades has been intensive and has resulted in significant improvements.

Serkan Kahraman and Yusuf Zorba have published a new book for marine pilots. In this book, maritime pilots and shipmasters’ situational awareness levels have been analyzed using a bridge simulator system and the results have been obtained.

Case Study: An investigation into whether Port of Melbourne and major port user, ExxonMobil, could bring deeper drafted vessels into the channel.

Shortly after 5 a.m. local time the vessel “Else” had a collision in the Kiel-Holtenau lock to the Kiel Canal.
The "Else" subject to pilotage passed the pilot's boarding position without taking a sea pilot on board and collided from the outside into the closed gate of the new north lock. The bow bored into the metal construction and the ship was stuck for about six hours.
For more information about this accident see related content below (articles).

A Filipino crew member of a Capesize bulk carrier HELLASSHIP fell into water while trying to assist pilot boarding bulk carrier in rough weather, off Gijon, Spain.