This is the Ben Madigan pilot boat, one of the hard working fleet of Belfast Harbout pilot boats. ( I'm not sure but I believe this might be a Redbay Stormforce, built by Redbay boat builders at Cushendll. )
These fast, sturdy, boats have to ferry Belfast pilots out to large vessels coming in to Belfast harbour. Piloted vessels range from large tankers, bulk carriers, container ships, ferries and cruise liners, right down to barges and fishing boats. Not only this, Belfast Harbour pilots...

What a great pleasure to meet these guys at the harbour - they could not have been more helpful and forthright about their work. At first glance, the glide of these orange powerboats up and down Belfast Lough seems an almost effortless task, but close up this is a very skilled trade and constant management of risk 24/7 in high and low seas, jumping from ship to boat to land taking safe control of the great volume of steel vessel coming in and out of this busy port. Though a hub of...

The Hibernia joins the Belfast Harbour operational marine fleet.

17m Self-righting Pilot Boat by Cheoy Lee Shipyards Name: PILOT 68 Designer: Camarc Design Overall length: 17.3m Designed speed: 25 knots https://www.cheoylee.com/product/detail/66/ Performance • Innovation • Reliability • Quality • Service #HKPA #cheoyleeshipyards #cheoylee #pilotboat #selfrighting #shipbuilding #Caterpillar #CamarcDesign Ref: 5217 (sister-ship: 5209)

The Pilot Boats captured in and around the waters of Victoria Canada c 2022 LSAC

Take a look at the first UK 'hybrid' pilot boat built in the UK by Goodchild Marine for the Port of London Authority. Video from 2019.

Estonian boatbuilder Baltic Workboats has delivered a new pilot boat ordered by German vessel operator Flotte Hamburg, a subsidiary of the Hamburg Port Authority.

Pilot off an outbound container ship, carrying empty containers out from the Port of Oakland. Working hard to repair the supply chain!
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In this eye-opening episode of Sea Views, host Julia Gosling speaks with Captain Andrew Moll (Chief Inspector, UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch), Ari Palmers (Senior Maritime Pilot, Netherlands), and Adam Parnell (Director, CHIRP Maritime) to confront the serious dangers faced by maritime pilots — especially during pilot transfers, where fatality rates remain alarmingly high.