Articles

Article and pictures by Captain W J M Hargreaves, Retired Southampton Pilot

UKMPA has released a notice to their members today regarding the so-called non compliant trapdoors. Vessels have been rejected entrance, talks have started with different shipping companies.

Ultra Large Container Vessel EVER GIVEN ran aground in Suez Canal north of Suez, at around 0600 UTC Mar 23, shortly after entering Canal in northbound convoy.

Breaux’s Bay Craft, Loreauville, La., delivered the new 90’x23’x12’4″ aluminum pilot boat Spindletop to the Sabine Pilots on March 6. The Sabine Pilots, Port Arthur, Texas, serve the Texas ports of Orange, Port Arthur and Beaumont. “This is the biggest pilot boat built in the U.S.,” said Roy Breaux, the shipyard’s owner. “There are bigger ones in other parts of the world, but this is the largest in the U.S.”

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

In Novorossiysk (Russia, Black Sea), a marine pilot died during a pilot transfer and an investigation has been launched. The incident occurred on the evening of 14 March at about 21:40.

Safehaven Marine have just launched a new pilot vessel for Svitzer. ‘Svitzer Oued Martil’ is a new 15m Interceptor 48 Pilot for pilotage operations in Tangier,Morocco and is the third pilot boat we have supplied to Svitzer in Tangier, with the first and second pilot 48’s working successfully the past 3 years and represents Safehaven’s 47th pilot vessel delivered Worldwide.

After 25 years of continual and significant refinement, these Camarc pilot boats remain clear sector leaders. The hull shape is now quite different yet they retain their classic Camarc good looks.

The Port of Townsville has welcomed the newest addition to its fleet of pilot boats with the arrival of the newly built MANTARAY. The $3.3 million, custom-built vessel utilises high-tech equipment and design to maximise safety and efficiency for pilot transfers.

An accident occurred in the Kiel Canal lock at Kiel-Holtenau. A freighter crashed into the gate of the north chamber on Saturday. The Kiel Canal is the busiest man-made waterway in the world.