Opinion Bow Truster Effect on Ship's Headway

by Capt. Hugues Cauvier - published on 14 July 2022

When the bow thruster has been in operation for a while, pilots often notice that the ship not only turns but also gains speed. But why is this? Opinion by Capt. Hugues Cauvier.

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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.

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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

In fact, the pivot point that we “see” is a trick of the eye, it looks like the ship is rotating about this point but in fact it is elsewhere, a point that you cannot see.

Related content

Video Bow thruster effect on ship's headway 1

by Capt. Hugues Cauvier - published on 14 July 2022

What is causing the forward motion of a stopped vessel using continous bow thruster action?
by Capt. H. Cauvier

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Video Hugues Cauvier: Understanding the ship's pivot point (complete video)

by Capt. Hugues Cauvier - published on 3 September 2024

This video has been recut and edited by the creator Hugues Cauvier. Previously there were three episodes, which have now been combined into one.

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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,...

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Video Maritime Pilot Training III - Man overboard manoeuvre

published on 12 May 2021

Training video III on the correct behaviour in case of man overboard

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Video Simplified Vector Approach for POD forces – samples and limitations

published on 23 February 2022

This movie belongs to the operation of ships with POD propellers and discusses the approach for using a vector model from only the pods’ thrust forces as resulting force to imagine the potential effect of the pods on manoeuvring motion.

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Article Safe working with harbour cranes

by American Harbor & Docking Pilots Association - published on 24 August 2022

To minimize the risk of a vessel allision with a terminal gantry crane, the American Harbor and Docking Pilots Association recommends that all terminal operators with gantry cranes adopt the following Best Practices.

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Video Wind Balance on straight track with theory

published on 24 November 2020

Wind Balance on straight track - using SAMMON to learn the theory and the effect of rudder and drift to reach the balance in steady state equilibrium conditions on straight track. Limits of steerability will be shown and how turn under strong wind.

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Article Maritime Pilot Tribute

by Marine-Pilots.com - published on 9 December 2019

One of the most grandiose video about Marine Pilots' work. Must see!

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Video Pilot Boat Waimea II, Port Nelson, New Zealand

published on 22 November 2021

Pilot Boarding on PCC Vessel

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