The pilot ladder shouldn’t be a killing ladder!

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.

Maneuvering Ship

Here’s a nice video of the rough weather sea trials of San Ciprian’s new Interceptor 42 Pilot boat ‘San Ciprano’. With the Covid-19 travel restrictions in place and the Guys from San Ciprian unable to fly here at present we’re having to do a remote ‘on-line handover’. So we made this video to give them every confidence that she is performing well, as she handled comfortably the stormy conditions prevailing on the South Coast of Ireland last Friday nicely, with winds of 50kts at the entrance...

A maritime pilot, marine pilot, harbor pilot, bar pilot, or simply pilot, is a sailor 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.

#actualvideos #pilotboat #actualfootage

The All India Maritime Pilots' Association has released its new journal for March

Taken from aboard the MS Westcott Pilot Boat this is the Algoma Harvester receiving mail on the Detroit River as they head downbound in the early evening hours of September 2nd, 2022
I had just been in Cleveland OH for the christening of the Mark W Barker the newest ship for the Interlake Steamship Company and left there on the 2nd to go to Toledo and see the National Museum of the Great Lakes and then I continued on to Detroit where I made this stop at the JW Westcott Company and met up...