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 All aspects of a spectacular and previously unpublished maritime tradition are considered, not forgetting the competitions between pilots to be the best crews.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 Delaware River Pilot Boat Transfers Pilot to Moving Ship
published on 28 May 2022
Video Pilotage to Sauda. Inside Norwegian fjord on big vessel. 4K. Original sound.
published on 16 June 2023
Video Pilot embarking and disembarking
published on 22 September 2020
Video New catamaran Pilot Boat
published on 21 July 2020
Article NTSB Report: Fatal accident under pilotage in Galveston, Texas (Jan 2020)
by NTSB National Transportation Safety Board - published on 5 November 2021
Article Three new pilot boats for Flinders Ports (Australia)
by Baird Maritime - published on 1 November 2023
Video Storm Bram sea trials aboard Northeast Pilot III
published on 27 February 2026
Here’s a video of recent Sea trials during ‘Storm Bram’ aboard the ‘all weather’ Interceptor 48 ‘Northeast Pilot III’ we built for the North East pilots at Newport, Rhode Island in the USA. With winds of Storm Force 11 and heavy breaking waves conditions were pretty wild, and proved a good test for her seakeeping abilities, especially her stability where she recovered nicely from a hard 90 degree knock down. Also respect to the seamanship of the captain aboard Fokko Ukena whom we filmed and...
Video Methanol Fueled Pilot Boat from Sweden
published on 7 July 2022
FASTWATER Consortium and the Swedish Maritime Administration (SMA) successfully demonstrated a pilot boat that has been converted to operate on Methanol fuel. The demonstration in Stockholm Harbour follows the successful bunkering of the vessel at the SMA pilot station in Oxelösund, Sweden, where the pilot boat will be based.
