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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Article Webinar - Port & Pilot supplied ECDIS routes and passage plans

published on 29 January 2021

The Australasian Marine Pilots Institute is presenting a webinar via Zoom about ports providing ECDIS routes and passage plans to ships as part of the pre-arrival process.

It will take place on Thursday 11 February 2021 at 19:00 AEDT (08:00 UTC) and is free for AMPI/IMPA/UKMPA/NZMPA members. Non-members are also welcome to attend.

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Video Maritime Education #5: Pilotage Operations on General Cargo ship

published on 17 February 2023

Maritime Education #5: Pilotage operations in General Cargo ship
An insight to points of attention during Embarkation and disembarkation of Pilots.
This video will be dedicated to my future Maritime students who will be joining General Cargo ships, this is what we normally do here, and this is for your virtual guide.
Thank you subscribers and keep growing so as my contents as well❤️

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Article Sustainability Thinking in Maritime Pilotage Training: Barriers, Enablers, Drivers, and Risks

by Ship senior pilot Seyed Behbood Issazadeh - published on 15 June 2026

This study addresses that gap by examining sustainability thinking not simply as an issue of awareness, but as a problem of training integration in a safety-critical professional context.

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Article Origins of the IMPA pilot mark

by Kevin Vallance deep sea pilot and author - published on 24 October 2019

There are many things in both our everyday and professional lives which we take for granted and never question the origins of, an example of this might be the IMPA recommended ‘pilot mark or pilot line’, which is sometimes seen on the side of vessels indicating where a vessels freeboard exceeds 9 metres.

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Article GPS (Part 3) - Accidental interferences and intended Interferences by extern technical sytems

by Capt. Gunter Schütze, Thailand/Germany - published on 6 May 2020

The vulnerability of GNSS in shore-based use is definitely different and to be regarded as much more risky than on the high seas.

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Video Smart Sound Plymouth: Britain’s platform for innovative marine technology development

published on 30 June 2021

Dr James Fishwick, Head of Smart Sound Plymouth gives an introduction to Smart Sound Plymouth and explains how it can be accessed and the equipment available.
This is a recording of the webinar given on the 17th June and is the second in a programme of webinars organised by Plymouth City Council which showcases the thriving marine sector in Plymouth, UK.
You can view the full programme of webinars and register for them here:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/oceansgate-marine-technology-webinar-...

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Video Hurricane winds Ireland Febuary 2014 from aboard Pilot boat

published on 17 December 2019

HDV video from a go pro on the mast of an Interceptor 48 Pilot boat at sea during hurricane force winds off Cork, Ireland in February 2014, as well as a few other HD go pro clips. Video by boat builders Safehaven Marine. www.safehavenmarine.com

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