Thursday 5th March – The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has issued brand new guidance for the global shipping industry to help combat the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). The comprehensive 22-page document has been produced in collaboration with prominent international bodies.

Information about Corona, COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2.

What events and meetings for Maritime Pilots are scheduled? Which events are canceled or postponed?
An overview on Marine-Pilots.com:

Itajai, Brazil. Photo and video

The Port of Townsville has welcomed the newest addition to its fleet of pilot boats with the arrival of the newly built MANTARAY. The $3.3 million, custom-built vessel utilises high-tech equipment and design to maximise safety and efficiency for pilot transfers.

The National Transportation Safety Board issued Marine Accident Brief 21/21 Thursday for its investigation​ of the Jan. 14, 2020, fatal collision of the tanker Bow Fortune and commercial fishing vessel Pappy’s Pride near Galveston, Texas.

An accident occurred in the Kiel Canal lock at Kiel-Holtenau. A freighter crashed into the gate of the north chamber on Saturday. The Kiel Canal is the busiest man-made waterway in the world.

The All India Maritime Pilots' Association has released its new journal for December

The Virginia Pilot Association has taken delivery of a Chesapeake Class MK II launch from Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, its ninth pilot boat built by the Somerset, Mass., shipyard since 1983.

Since the Chesapeake Class pilot boat was introduced by the Somerset, Mass., shipyard in 2003, 22 boats have been delivered to 11 pilot associations throughout the United States.

Port operations, whether these are being performed on water or on land, are often not without risk. Pilots boarding a ship while sailing, navigating through narrow passages, collision avoidance with other smaller or larger vessels, discharging and moving cargo on land, walking between container handling equipment and trucks…