A containership collided with a Pilot boat inside taipei harbour

off Taipei, bit choppy seas

The United Kingdom Maritime Pilots Association (UKMPA), is the representative professional body for Maritime Pilots in the United Kingdom. Almost every ship entering or leaving a port, is required under UK law to engage a duly Authorised Maritime Pilot, who either boards the vessel in port or at sea and takes conduct of the safe navigation of that vessel. This undertaking is critical to protecting the country’s national infrastructure and environment from damage or pollution, supporting the UK’s economy, and ensuring the safe, timely and efficient movement of all trade.

Manoeuvring large ships at close quarters and on shallow water is one of the most difficult aspects of shiphandling because of the complex hydraulic interactions depending on the ships' speeds, on the water depth and on lateral restrictions like in canals. Training is conducted both on meeting and on overtaking ships in shallow waters. This video shows how overtaking in a canal can easily fail.
More information: http://www.portrevel.com/3781-shiphan...

On 30 March 2023, a fatal accident occurred in the North Sea near IJmuiden during a pilot transfer from the pilot boat to a seagoing vessel.

The transfer of pilots to and from seagoing vessels should not rely solely on mutual trust and good intentions.

Despite clear regulations and regular maintenance requirements, safety often falls by the wayside, as the current example of a bulk carrier vividly demonstrates.

The European Maritime Pilot´s Association has released the new Newsletter issue 005/2022.

Here’s a cool little video we made during the sea trials of ‘Belgrano’ a new Interceptor 48 pilot for Montevideo, Uruguay. We captured some really nice drone footage of her offshore in some breaking seas and alongside ship manoeuvres, testing out her pilot boarding ladder and new fender system.

Bellomo (Unione Piloti) on ShipMag.it: “Reunification impossibile”

Sanmar Shipyards is celebrating completing a record number of vessels within one calendar month, with six tugs and two pilot boats gaining their class certificates during January 2022.