Opinion Bow Truster Effect on Ship's Headway
by Capt. Hugues Cauvier - published on 14 July 2022
Opinion A Corrected Version on Positioning of Pivot Point
by Capt. Santosha K. Nayak - published on 18 November 2020
Understanding the fundamentals of the pivot point is highly required for understanding the alteration of the courses. Pivot point is an imaginary point on the vessel which turns on a circular path on the perimeter of vessel’s turning circle when the vessel makes a turn. The knowledge about the position of the pivot point in a manoeuvring situation provides the ship handler with the information on the geometry of motion of the ship.
Opinion Scientific Fact: The ‘traditional’ understanding of the ship’s pivot point is wrong!
by Tim Cummins, Harbour Pilot, Portsmouth International Port - published on 9 July 2020
Related content
Video Bow thruster effect on ship's headway 1
by Capt. Hugues Cauvier - published on 14 July 2022
Video Hugues Cauvier: Understanding the ship's pivot point (complete video)
by Capt. Hugues Cauvier - published on 3 September 2024
Video How to Launch a Pilot Boat–Behind the Scenes at Point Hope Shipyard
published on 20 June 2025
Welcome to Point Hope Shipyard in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. In this video, I follow the float off of the Pacific Navigator, a hardworking pilot boat that serves the Port of Victoria and Ogden Point. We watch as the vessel is pulled along the marine railway, rotated on the turntable, and positioned onto the cradle. Once secured, the cradle lowers to float-off depth, and the Pacific Navigator fires up her engines for a short harbour spin before returning to duty. Some segments,...
Opinion Pilot ladders: Compliance by design, failure by operator
by Herman Broers - published on 10 March 2022
Article The NZMPA Good Practice Guide for Pilots 2021
published on 4 April 2022
The Good Practice Guide for Pilots 2021 describes the knowledge and skills (technical and non-technical) that the NZMPA believe all pilots should aim to achieve and maintain. It is written primarily for pilots for their own guidance and professional development, but can be used as a framework for pilot training, proficiency and assessment. It is referenced to NZ Maritime Law and Codes.
Video What is the impact of lateral resistance on a ship's turning circle??
published on 3 September 2020
This video explains the impact of lateral resistance on the turning circle of a vessel using animations. The video explains the term lateral resistance, shows an example of its impact on the turning circle and its associated aspects (advance, transfer, tactical diameter and drift angle).
Contents of this video will benefit mariners preparing for exams (written and oral examinations).