Deputy Harbour Master - Geelong (Victoria/AU)

There were some astonishing pictures in the press some weeks ago of a Royal Marine employing a jetpack to launch himself from a RIB to land on the deck of a ship with extraordinary precision. You cannot imagine that it would be a feasible proposition to equip pilots with such a device, but it did cross my mind after reading a horrible catalogue of disgraceful seamanship and poor design exhibited in what ought to be the simple matter of keeping pilots safe as they board and leave ships.

A man in his own element. Meet Pilot Fabio Fontes, the oldest maritime pilot in activity at 84.

Pilot debark from Battleship Texas to pilot boat Galveston following the relocation of the battleship to another pier. There was a second pilot who later debarked from Battleship Texas to pilot boat Texas.

The new 56-ft. Virginia Pilots launch is powered by a pair of Volvo Penta D13 700 hp EPA Tier 3 engines matched with IPS-3 steerable pod drives with forward-facing counter-rotating props. The propulsion system includes Volvo Penta’s EVC electronic steering and control system with a three-axis joystick. Top speed is 33+ knots.

Bulk Carrier "Jasmine A" leaving Gladstone lock stern-first with 3 tugs

In Germany a total of 16 new corona cases were reported on Friday morning. Ten of them on the two Rostock Aida ships, six more in Schwerin.

Product tanker NORTHSEA RATIONAL in load contacted embankment in Neumuelen, Hamburg, in the morning Nov 25, while maneuvering to berth, according to FleetMon.
It stated: “Tanker sustained serious damages to starboard bow, cause of accident yet unknown.
“She was berthed after accident, and as of evening Nov 25, remained, berthed. There was no hull breach in cargo tanks area, no cargo loss reported.”

by BAIRD MARITIME: France's JFA Yachts recently handed over a new self-righting boat to the Le Havre Pilot Station.

M/V PILOT 68 (CHEOY LEE shipyards 17m Self-righting Pilot Boat)

Giant Container Ship EVER GIVEN grounded and blocked Suez canal AIS data shows the MV Ever Given is stuck sideways within the canal, preventing ships from passing in either direction,Several tugs have been on scene for several hours working to dislodge the ship ,An ultra-large containership is aground and blocking ship traffic in the Suez Canal