Marine Pilot

Welcome to another exciting episode of A Spotlight to Panama! This week, we dive into the intricate operations of the Panama Canal with Carlos Mata, a Tugboat Captain with the Panama Canal Authority. The Panama Canal is a marvel of global engineering, requiring precise and coordinated efforts to ensure smooth transit for ships from around the world. Tugboats play a critical role in this process, and today, Captain Mata gives us an inside look at what it takes to keep this maritime artery...

Dublin Port Company (DPC) has completed a successful first round trial using Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), a low-carbon biofuel produced from waste material that can be used as a direct replacement for conventional marine diesel, in one of its Pilot Boats.

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We take a look at some of the dangerous ladder arrangements provided by ships when attempting to take maritime pilots on board. Our message is simple: if you are offered an unsafe or non-compliant ladder, do not board!

All three books, formerly published at ABR Company can be ordered now at www.stc-publishing.nl

This lady came into port in an excellent day, however when I inspected the pilot ladder prior to board I saw that it was rigged using D-Shackles fastened between the side ropes, transferring all the weight and load of the ladder to the clamps and chokes. Truly an unsuitable method of securing the ladder. Retrieval line was also not above the first spreader
After pulling out the pilot boat, the ship was contacted by VHF and the captain was asked to instruct the crew in the usage of ropes and...

Colombo Dockyard (CDPLC) of Sri Lanka has completed construction of a new pilot boat ordered by Japanese operator Kowa Company.

The Navigator - Issue 29 is now available to read for free.
This issue looks at Pilot safety and can be downloaded or read online.

Exemplary manoeuvre: The pilot should always walk on the side of the pilot boat facing away from the vessel. This prevents the pilot from being trapped between the two vessels in the event of a fall into the water.

A Japanese bulk carrier that has spilled more than 1,000 tons of oil since running aground off the coast of Mauritius has broken in two. Officials said the split was caused by a crack in a cargo hold, after the ship's condition deteriorated severely overnight. Emergency teams and thousands of volunteers have been racing to siphon off remaining fuel on board the ship.