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 All aspects of a spectacular and previously unpublished maritime tradition are considered, not forgetting the competitions between pilots to be the best crews.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 Pilot Disembarking ship in rough seas (Galveston)
published on 2 April 2025
Video Hamburg Pilot Boats: "Lotse 1" and "Lotse 2"
published on 6 January 2025
Video Pilot Boarding Bulk Carrier SAMMY in Saudi Arabia.
published on 5 July 2021
This video was kindly provided by a friend of Pilot Captain Haitham Alzahrani, Saudi Arabia. Pilot Ladder Check: non-compliant, no retrieval line Editor's note: A backpack on the back in combination with a lifejacket is usually not a good idea. There are only a few lifejackets that unfold in the water without any problems even with a backpack! More Information: SAMMY (IMO: 9582491) is a Bulk Carrier that was built in 2012 (9 years ago) and is sailing under the flag of Panama. It’s carrying...
Article Captain Erik Dalege is new EMPA President
published on 28 May 2021
Video Pilot Boat "Tribulation". Cairns, Australia
published on 27 September 2021
Article NTSB Report: Contact of Tanker Riverside with Moda Ingleside Energy Center No. 4 Loading Dock
published on 30 March 2022
On March 15, 2021, about 1302 local time, the oil tanker Riverside with a crew of 21 and 2 pilots was transiting outbound from the port of Corpus Christi, near Ingleside, Texas, in a loaded condition when the vessel lost propulsion and struck the no. 4 loading dock at the Moda Ingleside Energy Center. 1 No pollution or injuries were reported. Damage to the vessel was estimated at $550,000. The estimated property damage to the facility was $7 million.
Video Pilot Boats Australia & New Zealand December 2017 - January 2018
published on 11 November 2020
Video Baltic Workboats Steams into the U.S. Pilot Boat Market
published on 29 January 2026
Based in Estonia, Baltic Workboats is a long-tenured boatbuilder for multiple markets, including the demanding pilot boat sector. Late in 2025 in New Orleans BWB debuted a new hybrid electric 17m model, a boat that leans on more than 15 years of accrued experience building larger hybrid electric vessels. Carl Mahler, BWB’s North American sales lead and a harbor pilot himself, discussed with Maritime Reporter TV the value proposition offered by the shipyard, from manufacturing process to...
