Deputy Harbour Master - Geelong (Victoria/AU)

harbor pilots disembarking in Hong Kong
container ships - IKARIA and YM Excellence

When the world locked down, Australia’s marine pilots continued bringing ships safely into the nation’s ports to deliver the goods we depend on. Around 6,000 ships visit the ports of NSW each year and meeting them at sea to help them navigate into our ports and harbours are Port Authority’s marine pilots and cutter vessel crews. ••• Port Authority of New South Wales manages the navigation, security and operational safety needs of commercial shipping in Sydney Harbour, Port Botany,...

Over the past few years a number of pilot transfer accidents have occurred resulting from total failure of the side ropes, one school of thought is that the methods of securing a pilot ladder is a factor in such occurrences.

When publishing articles or pictures about pilots and their pilot ladders, very often we see the use of backpacks. The use of backpacks is controversial, since its weight, or buoyancy, can influence the functioning of the lifejacket used.

The film shows the pilot change on 21.8. - and 29.8. 2010 in Brunsbüttel. Filmed from board MS "Anna Sirkka"

HYBRID FUTURE SHIP ECO ITALIA. Time-Lapse. Gopro Max. SENIOR PILOT CAPTAIN Eyup Zafer performing departure maneuvering of Grimaldi Co Ship HYBRID RoRo ECO ITALIA. 2 TUGBOATS @captertanozgur PORT OF YILPORT - GEMLIK

At the end of the year and before Christmas, we were able to find a variety of offers for pilots who would like to change in the coming year.

Brief footage of a maritime pilot disembarking the Disney Magic and boarding his pilot boat as we left Nassau in January 2022.

From that moment on I have been keeping a tally of the non compliant boarding arrangements I see in front of me on a daily base, and off course I participate in the annual safety campaign, conducted by IMPA each october.