Belfast Harbour adds new Pilot Boat to Marine Fleet

This is the Ben Madigan pilot boat, one of the hard working fleet of Belfast Harbout pilot boats. ( I'm not sure but I believe this might be a Redbay Stormforce, built by Redbay boat builders at Cushendll. )
These fast, sturdy, boats have to ferry Belfast pilots out to large vessels coming in to Belfast harbour. Piloted vessels range from large tankers, bulk carriers, container ships, ferries and cruise liners, right down to barges and fishing boats. Not only this, Belfast Harbour pilots...

What a great pleasure to meet these guys at the harbour - they could not have been more helpful and forthright about their work. At first glance, the glide of these orange powerboats up and down Belfast Lough seems an almost effortless task, but close up this is a very skilled trade and constant management of risk 24/7 in high and low seas, jumping from ship to boat to land taking safe control of the great volume of steel vessel coming in and out of this busy port. Though a hub of...

Pilot boarding Spirit of Tasmania ship from Pilot Boat- Epic scene as in movies
#Spirit of Tasmania
#Bass strait channel

SOMERSET, Mass. – DATE – The Galveston-Texas City Pilots have ordered a fourth launch from Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation. Delivery is scheduled for in late 2022.

Safehaven Marine have launched another new Pilot boat, there 20th Interceptor 48 and 46th pilot vessel overall for the River Plate pilots in Montevideo, Uruguay. ‘Belgrano’ named after the famous Argentine general, will operate on the River Plate estuary, also famous for being the place of the first naval battle during the second world war, where the German battle cruiser, the Admiral Graf Spee was scuttled.

Venice pilot boat escorting "Rhapsody of the Seas" from Venice cruise terminal #venice#cruiseship#shipsboats

Pilotage operations require close interaction between human and machines. This complex sociotechnical system is necessary to safely and efficiently maneuver a vessel in constrained waters.

On March 15, 2021, about 1302 local time, the oil tanker Riverside with a crew of 21 and 2 pilots was transiting outbound from the port of Corpus Christi, near Ingleside, Texas, in a loaded condition when the vessel lost propulsion and struck the no. 4 loading dock at the Moda Ingleside Energy Center. 1 No pollution or injuries were reported. Damage to the vessel was estimated at $550,000. The estimated property damage to the facility was $7 million.