Ship Report Podcasts: Pilot boats - a special breed

French shipbuilder OCEA today launched the first of twenty "OCEA FPB 98 MKI" patrol boats for the State Border Guard service of Ukraine at its shipyard in Les Sables d'Olonne. ===================== In November 2019, an intergovernmental agreement between France and Ukraine has been signed to support the reinforcement of the maritime safety and security in Ukraine. OCEA won the international consultation launched by the Ukrainian Ministry of Interior. The acquisition contract is for 20...

Saying goodbye to our new built vessels are never easy. This pilot boat is the 16th delivered to Finnpilot Pilotage by Kewatec AluBoat.

Took this in 2021. The pilot boat is helping to navigate through the Port of Barcelona.

IMO 9291676. Build in 2003.

This video is filmed in 2015, edited 2021.
A maritime pilot, marine pilot, harbor pilot, port pilot, ship pilot, or simply pilot, is a mariner who maneuvers ships through dangerous or congested waters, such as harbors or river mouths. They are navigational experts possessing knowledge of the particular waterway such as its depth, currents, and hazards, as well as being experts in handling ships of all types and size. A Maritime pilot is an expert ship handler who is licensed or authorised...

Container ship CMA CGM MISSOURI ran aground in Suez Canal while transiting in southern direction, at around 0930 UTC Oct 14. As of 1745 UTC, probably refloated or moved, several Suez Canal tugs attending. Traffic probably suspended, but it’s not confirmed. No information on what caused grounding.
Container ship CMA CGM MISSOURI, IMO 9679919, dwt 115600, capacity 9448 TEU, built 2016, flag Liberia.
Thanks to Marine Traffic and Nolan Dragon.

The following article appeared in AIMPA magazine number 2 about the strength and testing of pilot ladders : There is much more information about pilot ladders in the AIMPA magazine, second issue, if you wish to read more you can download a copy at the bottom of this post.

Watch also (video of the accident)
Unofficial internal company timeline report

We work in an extremely safety-critical field and, therefore, safety is one of our three key values. We ensure safety for people, the environment and navigation.
Read more at: www.finnpilotvuosiraportti.fi/en

International Maritime Pilots' Association (IMPA) received the 2022 SAFETY4SEA Initiative Award for conducting annually its ‘Pilot Ladder Safety Campaign’ with the objective of reporting pilots’ experiences of ladders and boarding equipment to the IMO and the wider shipping community. Other distinguished short-listed nominees of this category were: Inmarsat, International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA), Safetytech Accelerator and Seafarers Hospital Society. We are honored to be...