#DangerousLadders on Facebook

Before you, you see my third article on pilot boarding arrangements. After my two previous articles
(‘1000 ways to secure a pilot ladder’ and ‘1000 ladders around’, I have received a lot of feedback and
also questions to get deeper into the matter of combinations and embarkation platforms.

Jacobsen Pilot Service and Los Angeles Pilot Station published a notice to all ships to inspect pilot ladders before the pilot boards.

Reason is an incident happened at the port of long beach in July 2020. Pilot ladder rope broke while the pilot was on the ladder - luckily the pilot was able to hold on.

There are many things in both our everyday and professional lives which we take for granted and never question the origins of, an example of this might be the IMPA recommended ‘pilot mark or pilot line’, which is sometimes seen on the side of vessels indicating where a vessels freeboard exceeds 9 metres.

By 2001, the Houston Pilots led the way in hiring minorities and women, and a few years later it formed a nonprofit called Anchor Watch, to offer scholarships to maritime students in need and boost opportunities for minority and women candidates. Captain Holly Cooper joined the Houston Pilots in 1994 as the group’s 151st pilot and the first woman to begin training as a deputy.

The international pilots association Impa is sounding the alarm about unsafe pilot ladders. According to the pilots, a worldwide survey has shown that access to the ship via the pilot's ladder often does not comply with the regulations.

Recorded from a live Zoom program on January 27th, 2022 Captain David Gelinas will discuss Maine's State Pilotage System and how it is practiced on Penobscot Bay. The talk will cover State Law requirements for foreign flag ships, the role of the State Pilot, Training, and local practices. Check out more videos from the Penobscot Bay & River Pilots Association here: https://www.penbaypilots.com/video-gallery/ Captain Gelinas has been a State Pilot for Penobscot Bay and River since 1992. He...

Canal Day! Follow a Bulk Carrier as it crosses the Suez Canal. This video is not a time-lapse, well explore a typical day in the Suez Canal. From pilot turn overs and helmamns to the line boat gift shop well try and cover it all.

As a rule, every pilot has the right to refuse an unsafe ladder. Safety first! A brave pilot is not the one who uses an unsafe ladder, but the one who, in case of doubt, asks for a different ladder or a different setting.
Unfortunately, too many pilots climb a dubious ladder when in doubt.