Fatal accident in the North Sea near IJmuiden

Based on MAIB Safety Digest 1/2025, Case 12, published April 2025 by the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB).

Container vessel ALDIVIA (IMO 9333395) was dangerously close to public beach at Vlissingen Netherlands, on May 21, while heading out to sea, en route from Antwerp to Helsinki Finland.
The cause of dangerous approach is unknown, but the ship wasn’t detained, she continued her voyage.

The St. Andrew’s Bay Pilots are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Captain Phillip Brady, age 46, on January 12, 2026.

UK's Marine Accident Investigation Branch has published grounding and recovery of a container feeder vessel and a tug in the approaches to the Humber Estuary in storm force conditions on 15 December 2018.

Pilot of cargo ship Ever Forward, which ran aground in Chesapeake Bay last year, gives up license

Like many seafarers I have long been a keen follower of The Nautical Institute’s MARS programme, and along with many other members I listened to the recent webinar on that topic. One theme which was repeated more than once was that it is better to learn from someone else’s misfortune rather than have it happen to you. Having personally been involved in two near misses resulting from unsafe pilot transfer arrangements in a relatively short space of time, I asked how experiences and knowledge specifically about pilot ladder safety could best be promulgated to avoid repeating common accidents or near misses.

In our section “Five questions for ..." Marine-Pilots.com introduces pilots and other market players to our readers in short interviews.

Today we have talked to Esil Abibula, Head of Romanian Pilotage Department.

Notice by the Editor of Marine-Pilots.com: "The sight of a sinking ship should always make us humble because it helps us to realize how small man is compared to the thousands of tons of steel a ship is made of - and how pale we are in comparison to the great power of the sea. Ships may have a soul, as they have names as well... Their end therefore should make us sad. There´s no fun or joy in watching this.” The vessel was refloated earlier this month following the removal of approximately...

It has been shown that a majority (51%) of pilot ladders is secured by means of D-shackles, when secured at intermediate length. Previous research (Evans, 2020) has proven that this method has only about 50% of the strength of the pilot ladder when secured at full length (“double ended ladder”), or by means of the “endless-sling” method.

Helicopter services company NHV Group has won a contract extension with the Dutch Maritime Pilot’s Association (Nederlandse loodsencorporatie) to support maritime pilotage services in the Netherlands.