SafePilot CAT I

Tug power has increased considerably over recent decades. Today, some ship handling tugs have a bollard pull of more than 100 tons. In addition, high tug power can be installed in ever smaller compact hulls.

When I was a deck officer back in the early nineties I worked on a ship that used to load grain at different ports along the Mississippi river. The name of the ship was Golden Hope, a 600 feet long dry bulk carrier with a 95 feet in beam. An average size vessel for those days' standards.

This is the Ben Madigan pilot boat, one of the hard working fleet of Belfast Harbout pilot boats. ( I'm not sure but I believe this might be a Redbay Stormforce, built by Redbay boat builders at Cushendll. )
These fast, sturdy, boats have to ferry Belfast pilots out to large vessels coming in to Belfast harbour. Piloted vessels range from large tankers, bulk carriers, container ships, ferries and cruise liners, right down to barges and fishing boats. Not only this, Belfast Harbour pilots...

My personal impression is that a lot has changed in terms of safety in the last two years. Non-compliance with current legislation that directly affects the safety of pilots is now no longer tolerated by many stakeholders. Something is happening. And that is a good thing.

In it´s August 2022 monthly safety scenario, the Swedish Club describes an accident where a pilot had fallen into the water, after one of the side ropes of the ladder broke.

Full titles read: "PILOT BOAT TRAGEDY"
L/S of almost submerged wreck of a Mersey pilot boat in which 22 men died during storm that wrecked her. M/S of wrecked lifeboat from pilot boat lying on beach.
FILM ID:1029.07
A VIDEO FROM BRITISH PATHÉ. EXPLORE OUR ONLINE CHANNEL, BRITISH PATHÉ TV. IT'S FULL OF GREAT DOCUMENTARIES, FASCINATING INTERVIEWS, AND CLASSIC MOVIES. http://www.britishpathe.tv/

A man in his own element. Meet Pilot Fabio Fontes, the oldest maritime pilot in activity at 84.

Experience the pilot disembarking. Subject vessel 180,000 DWT bulker in Kokkola, Finland, with more than 11 meters freeboard. Copyright: Finnpilot Pilotage

By the end of this year, our sea pilots are set to have undertaken a record number of pilotage acts. The total number is set to exceed 10,700, with almost 99% of the acts completed without delay.

Specialized training for maritime pilots in Canada.
A LEADER IN TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT
Founded in 2005, the Maritime Simulation and Resource Centre (MSRC) is a purpose-built marine pilot simulation training and turnkey port procedural development facility, offering unique navigational safety expertise in North America.