Most harbours require a pilot taking control of the bridge when entering or leaving their harbour, since currents, shoals and traffic maybe tricky. The busy harbour of Las Palmas is no exception to this rule and in this clip you see how these pilots are on standby day and night to safely accompany incoming and outbound ships. Now that the pilot has secured our safe exit from the harbour we are on our own again and ready to head South towards our first station! See: https://www.nioz.nl/en/...
See the world’s largest containership (24,000 TEU) departing Yantian with a world record number of TEU’s on board (19,621 TEU). Wishing you ‘fair wind and following seas’ HMM Algeciras, through to Suez (25th May) then beyond to Rotterdam (ETA 3rd June), Hamburg (7th June), Antwerp (11th June) & London Gateway (14th June).
In 2006 I was invited to join Port of London Pilot Capt. Tom Miller on one of his last few voyages before his retirement. A pilot cutter ferried us from the Gravesend Port office to the Port of London Terminal where the Hebridean Spirit waited for us to board. Once aboard, the ship's captain manoeuvred the vessel off its moorings and into the channel. After handing the vessel over to Capt. Miller, the Captain joined the ship's company for dinner, and the first offer and a helmsman remained...
