Trainee Marine Pilot

Waiting on the porch of boat pilot cabin. Putting on life vest and embarking on boat pilot speedboat. Navigating on St Lawrence River towards cargo ship Federal Kumano. Embarking on cargo ship. Talking stairs up tp navigation bridge. Meeting crew.Taking over controls of Federal Kumano.

Based on MAIB Safety Digest 1/2025, Case 12, published April 2025 by the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB).

Shortly after 5 a.m. local time the vessel “Else” had a collision in the Kiel-Holtenau lock to the Kiel Canal.
The "Else" subject to pilotage passed the pilot's boarding position without taking a sea pilot on board and collided from the outside into the closed gate of the new north lock. The bow bored into the metal construction and the ship was stuck for about six hours.
For more information about this accident see related content below (articles).

The Port Pilot, by Richard Blanco. In _Looking for The Gulf Motel_, 2012, University of Pittsburgh Press.

The Welland Canal is a ship canal in Canada that runs 42 km (27.0 miles) from Port Colborne, Ontario on Lake Erie to Port Weller, Ontario on Lake Ontario. As part of the St. Lawrence Seaway, the canal allows ships to traverse the Niagara Escarpment and avoid Niagara Falls. FOR THE SPRINKLERS QUESTION HERE IS YOUR ANSWER: "Hogging is a term used when a vessel is bent up in the middle due to any number of factors. On the Great Lakes this happens to vessels in hot weather where the upper part...

Capt. Luigi Mennella is the new President of the Italian Federation of Ports Pilots.

Using pictures and sketches, this video finally explains the difference between gross tonnage (GRT) and net tonnage (NRT); the ship spaces that are included/excluded in their calculation; and the importance of these terms to ship owners.
Contents of this video will benefit mariners preparing for exams (written and oral examinations).

May is Maritime Month at the Port of San Diego and we are proud to highlight some of our hardworking men and women of the Working Waterfront. Meet Captain Lyle Donovan, a San Diego Bay pilot with the San Diego Bay Pilots Association. His work consists of guiding ships in and out of San Diego Bay in a safe and efficient manner. A typical day includes guiding a 650-foot car carrying vessel or a 950-foot cruise ship into San Diego Bay. This entails boarding the vessels by climbing up a ladder,...

This is the Ben Madigan pilot boat, one of the hard working fleet of Belfast Harbout pilot boats. ( I'm not sure but I believe this might be a Redbay Stormforce, built by Redbay boat builders at Cushendll. )
These fast, sturdy, boats have to ferry Belfast pilots out to large vessels coming in to Belfast harbour. Piloted vessels range from large tankers, bulk carriers, container ships, ferries and cruise liners, right down to barges and fishing boats. Not only this, Belfast Harbour pilots...