Pilot

Many consider the Bristol Channel pilot cutter to be the finest sailing boat design ever. Fast, seaworthy and beautiful to behold, the pilot cutter is the perfect combination of form and function - a thoroughbred perfectly adapted to a life in one of the Britain's most treacherous stretches of water. Sailor and writer Tom Cunliffe explores the life of the pilots and sails a perfectly restored cutter to find out just what drove these men and their wonderful machines.

No giggling, we’re serious about crotch straps at the RNLI. Why? Because crotch straps make your lifejacket perform better and keep you safer for longer. Our top tips for fitting your lifejacket crotch straps: 1. Always fit the crotch straps securely. 2. If you end up in the water, tighten the straps to take up any slack. Remember, correctly adjusted crotch straps will help keep your head above water. Get more water safety advice at: http://bit.ly/RNLIcheckBA

Leaving Honningsvåg Norway aboard the Nieuw Statendam cruise ship in May 2023. Video shows the Pilot leaving the ship.

Dieter Morhardt ist Kanalsteurer auf dem Nord-Ostsee-Kanal. Was den Beruf ausmacht erzählt er im Video.
Eine umfangreiche Reportage zu den Kanalsteurern gibt es hier:
https://www.shz.de/regionales/kiel/kanalsteurer-auf-dem-nord-ostsee-kanal-ein-in-deutschland-einmaliger-beruf-id19542646.html

Qualified pilots are usually employed by the local port or maritime administration, and provide their services to ships for a fee, calculated in relation to the ship’s tonnage, draught or other criteria.

The entrapment problem of a pilot ladder has not yet been solved and has prompted Captain Francesco Aiello to seek a solution. His very simple idea (patented) has been internationally recognized as innovative.

As a rule, every pilot has the right to refuse an unsafe ladder. Safety first! A brave pilot is not the one who uses an unsafe ladder, but the one who, in case of doubt, asks for a different ladder or a different setting.
Unfortunately, too many pilots climb a dubious ladder when in doubt.

These are images that no one wants to see. How can people take such a risk and behave so unprofessionally? Purely a matter of luck whether you come home again in the evening!