Cargo ship crushes tugboat in Panama Canal

Based on MAIB Safety Digest 1/2025, Case 12, published April 2025 by the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB).

Going down the accommodation ladder with neither lifevest nor safety line must have been based on similar, past, successful operations, which may have never been challenged on board. This ‘slippage’ in safety is a pernicious and common phenomenon.

In Early 2003 Nasir Khan joined as a Chief Officer of General Cargo Vessel .
Vessel route was UAE to Somalia.
They arrive SE Coast of Somalia to discharge at anchorage.

Ladders are the bridges for crossing the rough seas of our lives.
When you are a Marine Pilot at work, hoping and praying that the ladders which let you embark the vessel are stable, safe and not dangerous.
In Memoriam of the late Captain Dennis Sherwood who passed away on Monday the 30th of December.

Manoeuvring large ships at close quarters and on shallow water is one of the most difficult aspects of shiphandling because of the complex hydraulic interactions depending on the ships' speeds, on the water depth and on lateral restrictions like in canals. Training is conducted both on meeting and on overtaking ships in shallow waters. This video shows how overtaking in a canal can easily fail.
More information: http://www.portrevel.com/3781-shiphan...

In this article I would like to share my thoughts on this pilot ladder poster. Is it as good as we think or is there room for improvement? By taking you through this poster step by step I hope to explain what needs to be changed to make it similar to IMO an SOLAS regulations.

MS Westcott Season Recap 2023 - J.W. Westcott Company - Detroit Pilot boat / Mail boat

Advanced automation has been highlighted as contributory to several accidents involving modern bridge support systems and automation aiding maritime pilots for maneuvering and navigation. This paper argues for reskilling for automation collaboration.

The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System is a 2,340 mile “marine highway” that extends from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. This integrated navigation system serves mariners, farmers, factory workers, and commercial interests from the western prairies to the eastern seaboard. Today, the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System serves as a Key Supply Chain for the world’s 3rd largest economy. Visit greatlakesseaway.org/our-system/ to learn more!

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.