Opinion What you can´t see still hurt you
published on 13 December 2020
This article was originally published on Baird Maritime (link below)
When a pilot is berthing a ship with the aid of tugs, it sometimes happens that the ship lands heavily and suffers minor damage. More commonly in my experience, it also happens that the crew discover a large dent for which they cannot account ...
Video History: Pilot Ahoy! (1940). A pathetone special
published on 18 May 2020
The good old times: 1940. Found on YouTube. Created by "British Pathé" Titles read: "PILOT AHOY! A PATHETONE SPECIAL" New York, United States of America. Good aerial views of dozens of merchant ships entering New York's harbour. Various shots of life aboard a New York pilot cutter. The pilot is rowed out to a merchant ship, goes aboard and then is picked up again. Apprentice pilots on board a training ship scrub the decks, lower a rowing boat over the side and study charts with a senior...
Article Interview with Marine Pilot Esil Abibula: Crossing the Northwest Passage
by Marine-Pilots.com - published on 18 December 2019
The Northwest Passage is the approximately 5780 km long sea route that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean north of the American continent. It crosses the Arctic Ocean and its marginal seas as well as the associated sea lanes through the Canadian-Arctic archipel ago.
Roald Amundsen made his first complete successfully crossing in 1903-1906 via the route discovered by John Rae through the James Ross Strait, Rae Strait and Simpson Strait on the small ship Gjøa.
Video The Pilot Of Belfast Harbour - N Irish Coastal Scenery
published on 20 June 2022
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...
Video Pilot Boat LOS 107 — Full Underway Walkaround
published on 27 February 2026
Join us for a full exterior walkaround of the Norwegian pilot boat LOS 107 while she’s underway — bow to stern, wheelhouse to fenders. Real-time footage of a working pilot/launch at sea. Vessel overview Name: LOS 107 (listed as “Lodsbåd / Vessel”) Type: Pilot boat / pilot launch / workboat Built: 1998 (Norway) Hull material: Aluminium Length overall (LOA):17.1 m Beam: ~4.0–4.3 m (approx.) Draft: ~1.0 m (approx.) Displacement / GT: small workboat class (light displacement) Propulsion: Twin...
Article Ship Report Podcast: The pilot boat Peacock: a game changer for Columbia River commerce
published on 14 September 2022
Video Pilot tender GRODEN on the river Weser
published on 1 October 2021
Video Behind the Scenes of the Panama Canal with Tugboat Captain Carlos Mata
published on 14 June 2024
Welcome to another exciting episode of A Spotlight to Panama! This week, we dive into the intricate operations of the Panama Canal with Carlos Mata, a Tugboat Captain with the Panama Canal Authority. The Panama Canal is a marvel of global engineering, requiring precise and coordinated efforts to ensure smooth transit for ships from around the world. Tugboats play a critical role in this process, and today, Captain Mata gives us an inside look at what it takes to keep this maritime artery...