Texas State Harbor 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...

It turns out that supertankers and cruise ships have valets. They're called maritime pilots, and they're among the most elite ship handlers in the world. So where does one go to learn how to park the largest ships in the world? To the Maritime Pilots Institute in Covington, La. There, they use mini-versions of the behemoth boats to teach the basics. All aboard!

Using two, 66TBP tugs to assist in berthing the 90,000 GT bulker “Jin Weng Feng”. The port is “Puerto Brisas” at La Guajira, Colombia. The vessel is turned to port just outside the berth limits due to limited room in the basin with enough depth. Then she’s backed in.

By 2001, the Houston Pilots led the way in hiring minorities and women, and a few years later it formed a nonprofit called Anchor Watch, to offer scholarships to maritime students in need and boost opportunities for minority and women candidates. Captain Holly Cooper joined the Houston Pilots in 1994 as the group’s 151st pilot and the first woman to begin training as a deputy.

As the world struggles with the Covid-19 virus, the maritime world is being hit hard, not only economically, but also socially and operationally. Iin shipping there are no borders.

The crew from Rescue RS 172 in Norway at sea trial with Humphree interceptors in "Active" mode. Storm outside Hvaler, Norway.
”Our job is to be there for people at sea in any condition. No system can eliminate motions from a roaring North Sea, what Humphree does is to give us the best possible control of our workboats, a system that makes a real difference to get the job done.”
Knut Hveding, Manager New Builds
Norwegian Search and Rescue team

On the first day of the "IMPA safety ladder campaign 2020", Joris Stuip, Vice President PTR Holland is rightly upset about obviously fake and manipulated certificates at Pilot Ladders. They are playing with the safety of the pilots.

Ex-RN minehunter (former HMS Berkeley) serving with Greek navy as HS Kallisto cut in half during collision with Maersk containership, Maersk Launceston, a Portuguese-flagged container ship.

What events and meetings for Maritime Pilots are scheduled? Which events are canceled or postponed?
An overview on Marine-Pilots.com: