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 All aspects of a spectacular and previously unpublished maritime tradition are considered, not forgetting the competitions between pilots to be the best crews.
Read more...
Video Towards Autonomous Ships – Flag State Involvement and Regulatory Aspects
published on 30 June 2021
Article Study: Sleep deprivation and the impact on Maritime Pilots
published on 26 April 2022
Article London Pilots issue Quick Reference Guide for PTA’s
by Port of London Authority - published on 9 September 2024
Video Razorbill Pilot Boat Southbound On The Mersey
published on 24 March 2022
Article PFMBlue installed on pilot vessel in one of the world most remote ports.
published on 13 June 2022
Video Port Revel Ship Handling in France | by National Geographic
published on 27 September 2020
They look like toy boats, but they serve a serious purpose. An outsider at this facility near Grenoble, France, may see grown men riding arounda lake in miniature ships. But these are pilots of the world's largest ships, and they're practicing navigation with meticulously engineered 1:25 scale models of real cruisers, tankers, and containerships. Port Revel Shiphandling Training Centre, in operation since 1967, has had more than 6,000 maritime pilots and merchant ship officers from all over...
Video Smooth pilot boarding
published on 7 October 2021
Video Welcome to Driver's Ed...For Supertankers
published on 2 October 2019
It turns out that supertankers and cruise ships have valets. They're called maritime pilots, and they're among the most elite ship handlers in the world. So where does one go to learn how to park the largest ships in the world? To the Maritime Pilots Institute in Covington, La. There, they use mini-versions of the behemoth boats to teach the basics. All aboard!