Marine Pilot / Napier

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.

Pilot transfer arrangement is a sensitive topic to be discussed among the pilot’s fraternity. Although ships are designed and operated with compliance to the SOLAS requirements in all respects including the pilot transfer arrangements, there has been numerous deficiencies observed related to pilot transfer arrangements. The small deficiencies from the part of ships cause life threatening accidents for pilots and sometimes to the ship staff themselves. There are many instances of defective ladder and complacency in proper rigging of ladders has been reported almost every day in different parts of the world. Many pilots lost their life, severely injured for life and face many minor to major accidents. The latest incident being the Capt. Timothy Murray of Sandy hooks Pilot.

Video AIS Track by Nolan Dragon - www.MarineTraffic.com What had happened: Container ship APL MEXICO CITY broke off her mooring at Doel, Antwerp, in the afternoon Dec 9, drifted across harbor and contacted DP World pier crane. Crane collapsed and was totally destroyed. No injures reported. Cause of the accident (according to the report from FEBIMA): "The allision of the mv APL MEXICO CITY with a gantry crane at the Port of Antwerp on 9 December 2019 stemmed from exceptional meteorological...

I had a fun opportunity to get some drone content of a ship getting underway from the port of Guayania Puerto Rico.

Nakilat’s newbuild MEGI LNG carrier Global Energy loaded a full cargo of LNG and transited the Panama Canal for the first time in late-2020. Chartered by Cheniere Marketing International, the 173,400cbm vessel is commercially and technically managed by Nakilat. Built by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME), 'Global Energy' is the first of four LNG carrier newbuilds to be delivered to Global Shipping Co. Ltd., a joint venture of Nakilat and Maran Ventures Inc. (Maran Ventures).

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...

The Ministry of Transport and Communications has launched a project to reform the Pilotage Act. The aim is that the new legislation would enter into force at the start of 2023.

The innovative and newly set up ship builder Wallaby Boats GmbH (WB), based in Kappeln,
Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, has decided in the investment to build the world’s first crew transfer
vessel/daughter craft (CTV/DC) with a suspension system.

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.

Experience the sheer power and precision of port operations as a 400-metre container ship — one of the largest vessels to visit the Port of Southampton — requires a fourth tugboat to safely dock. Captured in stunning 4K drone footage, this video highlights the incredible teamwork between pilots and tugs as they guide this giant into position. 📍 Location: Port of Southampton, UK 🚢 Vessel Type: Ultra Large Container Ship (400m class) ⚓ Tugboats: Four assisting tugs 🎥 Filmed in: 4K Ultra...