UK Ports and Pilots take firm stand against Non-compliant Trap Door Boarding arrangements

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.

During the transit time on the pilot launch between the shore and the vessel, marine pilots will spend at least a portion of that time carrying out (either consciously or subconsciously) a risk assessment of the forthcoming operation.

Over the past few years a number of pilot transfer accidents have occurred resulting from total failure of the side ropes, one school of thought is that the methods of securing a pilot ladder is a factor in such occurrences.

In early December, just as I was starting to get into ship spotting, I saw a couple of vessels headed up river towards Philly. One of them, the Cielo di Iyo met with the harbor pilot right as I had my drone up. I was able to capture the Pilot coming to meet the vessel and CLIMBING the ladder to get on board just before she passed beneath the Walt Whitman Bridge.

On this video (with original sound), you can watch the #OilChemicalTanker Ship "SARA H" (First Images) and then, the Pilot Vessel "CATAMARÁN ANTARES", arrived at #boardingpoint #ZonaComún #RioDeLaPlata to change Pilots  (Disembarking Maneuver of the Rio de la Plata Pilots and Embarking Manuever of Rio Paraná Pilots).-

Let's change our perspective and see how the team sets up an accommodation ladder.

Ideas from Nasir Khan, Port Pilot: "I would like to suggest that we try an experiment and make some modifications that will result in a better grip on the handrails of the ship's ladder and on the pilot ladder steps. Let's talk about it!"

The pilot boat in Hvasser is going to pick up a pilot from a tank ship.

From "Casual Navigation": In this video, we investigate the Pilot Ladder. It is a crucial piece of equipment, used for embarking and disembarking a harbor pilot at sea.(contains advertising)