Marine Pilot Apprentice

The author’s name is Mohammed Rida El Mariky, a senior pilot at Tangier Med Complex. He has 14 years pf pilotage experience in various Moroccan port and holds a Ph.D in Admiralty Law from the prestigious Paul Cézanne Faculty, Aix-en-Provence, France.

I am not a computer savvy. My knowledge in programming and robotics and those sort of things is nil. I get lost in the sea of social media and easily entangle myself in the web. All I have done for the last 25 years or so is to pilot ships through the Panama Canal. However, during the last couple of years I have done my best to catch up with technology, since it has enhanced our possibilities and improved safety in our field. But still, I have to admit that I am way behind the new guys in this important issue.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges to the maritime supply chain and called for accelerated adoption of digital technologies in various aspects of maritime operations, including the area of maritime education and training (MET).

pilot boat general cargo ship seaman captain marine

Pilot launch Griffiths onboard and off Point Lonsdale, Victoria, Australia.
Ship spotting at Point Lonsdale and other water activities by Wally on Water.

Maritime pilots trace the roots of their profession back to the ancient Greeks and Romans when incoming ship captains employed experienced local fisherman to guide their merchant vessels safely into port. It’s a legacy of skill, strength, and sharp wits, and our Houston Pilots (“Pilots”) have been meeting vessels at Galveston’s bar to carry on these proud traditions for just shy of 100 years.

All India Marine Pilot Association has been formed by a Group of Mariners who care for "safety and security" of the Marine Pilots. Although a lot of our Indian seafarers felt the dire need of such a body, it was only after the unfortunate and untimely demise of Capt V P Gupta following his fall from the ladder on 8th August 2019, that pilots and like-minded individuals started expressing their displeasure about the 'Eco-system'. Capt. Virendra Mishra, C.E.O., The Shipping Tribune, had the...

Many people wonder how ships made it across entire oceans without getting lost in the seventeenth century. Aaron introduces seventeenth century navigation to us today by beginning with piloting.

A cargo ship is guided into Port by the Pilot boat on a breezy February morning- Filmed with a Sony RX10 Mk iv
Ship - Fast Sim
Port- Shoreham