Maritime Pilot first duty at New Harbour

Great insights into the work of pilots on Puget Sound

My personal impression is that a lot has changed in terms of safety in the last two years. Non-compliance with current legislation that directly affects the safety of pilots is now no longer tolerated by many stakeholders. Something is happening. And that is a good thing.

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This expert article is based on a presentation given by Capt. Pilot Sven Stemmler at the MCN's (Maritimes Cluster Norddeutschland e. V. ) event ‘On the Future of the Pilot Profession’ at Fraunhofer CML in Hamburg on 9 September 2025.

The Ever Act, the worlds largest and the second to be built out of a series of 12 record breaking vessels prepares to depart Felixstowe Berth 9 with a maximum draught of 10.2 metres for her next port of Hamburg.  As the DFDS ferry was heading inbound at the North Shipwash, Harwich VTS had asked then to make best speed so they planned to get the Suecia Seaways through before the Ever Act broke away. A Harwich Haven Pilot Launch heads over from Harwich with a pilot for the Ever Act....

We we’re out on sea trials with the two newly launched Interceptor 48 pilot boats when the Port of Cork pilot boat ‘Failte’ passed by to undertake a pilot transfer from an outbound ship. It was a nice opportunity to capture some cool video of the action as the boats ran alongside before the ship turned to create a lee for the pilot to disembark. Although the seas weren’t very big, it was blowing hard at the time with gusts of over 50kts recorded at Roches PT lighthouse as we passed.

The 16.3-meter aluminium pilot boat includes features aimed at performance and crew safety: • Twin Caterpillar C18 engines (2 x 400 hp) • Traditional shaft and propeller system • Top speed of 25 knots, cruising at 22 knots • Air suspension seats, autopilot, and interceptor system • Heated decks, rails, and windows • Crew accommodation for six • Galley for two and diesel heating for cold-weather operation • 2 x 1300-liter fuel tanks for extended range “This is not just a boat. This is a...

Harbour pilots perform tricky operations boarding big cruise ships from fast pilot boats. Auckland and Malta.