Tanker and general cargo ship collided in Kiel Canal on July 27

The ship could not slow down and sailed against the Old North Lock - “Alte Schleuse Nord”.

According to various reports, the motor vessel "Else" damaged the gate of the Kiel-Holtenau lock at 5:00 a.m. on 29 August when it entered the closed gate without a pilot.

The vessel "ELSE" didn't stopped at the pilot station and tried to enter the closed lock without a pilot.
Following the crash on 29.08.2020, the official investigations into the accident are now beginning on site.

Vessels are being stranded at ports on the river due to the lack of pilots and the line-up of vessels forced to wait in the anchorage outside the estuary is increasing rapidly. Owners are unclear how long the problem will last

Good news for pilot safety: As one of the leading shipping companies, MAERSK is now targeting the notorious "trapdoor arrangements". A corresponding notification to all the company's ships concerned was made public in the last few days.

Explosions and major fire on Aframax crude oil tanker MT. JAG LEELA at Belawan, Indonesia. 10 May 3020

MAN Engines is equipping nine pilot boats from the shipyard Goodchild Marine Services Ltd. in Norfolk, Great Britain, with in-line six-cylinder engines. This is the engine manufacturer's first entry into the British pilot boat segment.

The Pacific Pilotage Authority says: "There is a common misunderstanding amongst vessel operators that vessels built prior to 2012 are exempt from some of the requirements for pilot transfer arrangements. This is incorrect...".

Issues like the Covid 19 crisis and the moves towards increased autonomy appear to be driving a renewed interest in Shore Based Pilotage (SBP), nowadays often called Remote Pilotage.