The first volume of Pilots concentrated on the stories of American and British schooners. Volume 2 enters what for many will be a less familiar world... that of the remarkable pilot brigs and small undecked craft. Schooners range from the Hiates of Portugal to the beautiful station boats of the North Sea ports of Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, and France. The development of the schooners themselves into such highly sophisticated craft is traced from regional predecessors. Volume 2 of Pilots is not just about boats — the sailors also have their role. The book follows highly difficult manoeuvres under sail, dangerous transfers at sea, the routine of everyday life, and the perils of heavy weather including ships wrecked and lives saved. All aspects of a spectacular and previously unpublished maritime tradition are considered, not forgetting the competitions between pilots to be the best crews.
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Video Halifax pilot boat in big swells alongside a ship
published on 3 November 2021
Video Goodchild Marine Services ORC 171 Pilot Boat
published on 23 July 2021
Video Foyle Leader 2 (Foyle Pilots)
published on 26 July 2022
Video Pilot Talks...! Episode 3 (with Capt. Henk Hensen) by AIMPA
published on 7 March 2021
Article Rumos Práticos 58 published in Portuguese and English
published on 8 June 2021
One hundred and sixty-seven years ago, what was once a pilots’ association became Pernambuco Pilot Station. On February 28th of 1854, Pilot Station 9 first appeared in the port of Recife, and was to assume the current configuration with the development of the Suape port complex, in the Ipojuca municipality, 40 kilometers away. In the fourth article of the series on Brazilian ZPs of this edition, Rumos Práticos reveals the main challenges met in the state of Pernambuco by the pilot station, which today joins in implementing new operations and overcoming infrastructure bottlenecks.