The Insane Amount of Power Tugboats Pack to Move Giant Ships

Spotted some Pilot Boats in the Port of Auckland, New Zealand and Melbourne & Fremantle Australia (Port codes: Auckland:NZ AKL ; Melbourne:AU MEL ; Fremantle:AU FRE).

When the world locked down, Australia’s marine pilots continued bringing ships safely into the nation’s ports to deliver the goods we depend on. Around 6,000 ships visit the ports of NSW each year and meeting them at sea to help them navigate into our ports and harbours are Port Authority’s marine pilots and cutter vessel crews. ••• Port Authority of New South Wales manages the navigation, security and operational safety needs of commercial shipping in Sydney Harbour, Port Botany,...

Every airport needs its air traffic control but what about the ships in our seaports? Here’s how Port Authority’s VTS teams keep watch 24/7 to keep shipping safe in New South Wales, Australia. ••• Port Authority of New South Wales manages the navigation, security and operational safety needs of commercial shipping in Sydney Harbour, Port Botany, Newcastle Harbour, Port Kembla, Eden and Yamba. With over 6,000 visits from trade and cruise vessels each year, the ports of New South Wales...

Pilots are expert ship handlers who possess detailed knowledge of local waterways. They are transported by high speed "Pilot Boat" or helicopter from shore to an inbound ship and from an outbound ship back ashore. Most ports have compulsory pilotage.

Among the few marine professions that purse a man's technical skills and value very high, maritime piloting perhaps is in a class of its own. In this career, the pilot is entrusted to maneuver vessels through some of the most challenging and congested waterways while ensuring seamless integration between shipboard operations and port infrastructure.

Video by Andy Mabbett, UK
A lovely morning for the arrival of the Royal Caribbean International Majesty of the Seas into Portsmouth International Port. Apologies for my basic editing but the overlays in each corner provide an idea of what my tugs azimuth thrusters were doing along the way with the sliders showing engine and propeller power. The Damen Shipyards Group ASD 2411 'MARKSMAN' of SMS Towage is an awesome tug with 70t Bollard Pull. This ensures the customer's v/l is handled safely...

Why “Danish Butter Cookies” are a part of the standard navigational equipment…

After spending years at sea, Brett Monthie had to chart the channels in Tampa Bay from memory in order to become a Tampa Bay harbor pilot. And then he spent 30 months in training.

The man was working as a Marine Pilot for ABP when he fell into the water on Sunday afternoon. The circumstances surrounding his death are not yet known

Built in 1980, the Maguelonne pilot boat, historical ship of the pilots of Sète, is getting a new look and swapping its thermal engine for a 100% electric propulsion. It is within the framework of the Green Pilot project, led by the MGH company, supported by its partners, the Occitanie Region and the Port of Sète-Frontignan, and with the participation of the pilot stations of Sète and Marseille-Fos, that the e-Maguelonne is born.
The maritime pilots lead the ships to the entrance of the...