Crew pilot boat in Saudi

In a press release, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) informed that it was the container ship CAPE KORTIA, in maneuvers towards the port of PSA. The fire occurred in the ship's engine room.

Fewer vessels in voyage mean less pilotage and this means less income for many Pilots. Not every Pilot is an employee and many pilots are self-employed and organised in a brotherhood per example. They are earning only money if they are piloting a vessel. No vessel – no money.

The latest edition of The New Zealand Pilot has been published (link in article).

A pilot ladder is a highly specialized form of rope ladder, typically used on board cargo vessels for the purposes of embarking and disembarking pilots.

Shipbuilder Metal Shark is building a welded aluminum 55’ x 17’ pilot boat for the Pascagoula Bar Pilots Association in Mississippi.

Designed in-house, the new 55 Defiant Pilot being built for Pascagoula Pilots represents the latest evolution in Metal Shark’s pilot boat lineup. The distinctive vessel incorporates the“faceted hull” design initially developed by Metal Shark for the US Navy 40 PB program, and features an enhanced version of Metal Shark’s signature “pillarless glass” in a two-tiered, reverse-raked arrangement.

On February 23rd, 2024 the NISSOS KEROS ( 330 m long x 60 m wide x 17m draft ) was inbound to Europoort, dolphins 90. Pilot was hoisted onboard by Noordzee Helicopters Vlaanderen (NHV) helicopter flying out of the Nederlands Loodswezen Rotterdam Pilots base. Assisted by 4 tugs from both Boluda and Muller, as well as KRVE boatmen, she eventually moored successfully in stormy weather on Maasvlakte-2 in Port of Rotterdam. Thanks to the very professional crew on the NISSOS KEROS, it was a very...

Chapter 3 from the book "Crossing the Bar, The Adventures of a San Francisco Bay Bar Pilot" by Captain Paul Lobo, available on Amazon (link below)