Dredger OCEANLINE 5001 sailing at full speed struck anchored tanker STROVOLOS with moored alongside supply vessel, at around 1140 LT (UTC +8) Oct 2, on Melaka anchorage, Malaysia, Malacca Strait. The results can be seen on video – tanker suffered portside hull breach above waterline and apparently, some damage on cargo deck.

Safety of Navigation vs. Commercial Pressure / ROMEILs Tv Commercial Pressures impacts the safety of the vessel, study says Seafarers are pressured to keep quiet and keep the ship moving by ship operators, who dont want to lose inccome. Ship's officers who bring safety issues to the attention of management are exposed to the risk of retaliation. As whistle-blowers they may face punishment, demotion or even termination. International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots (MM&P) has...

Pilot Boat Marseille France port

A 35-year-old male sea pilot of the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) fell into the sea from a crude oil tanker near the N Shed Wharf in the port of Durban. A rope of the pilot ladder is said to have snapped for an undetermined reason when the man disembarked while leaving the crude oil tanker which was leaving the port of Durban.

A Filipino crew member of a Capesize bulk carrier HELLASSHIP fell into water while trying to assist pilot boarding bulk carrier in rough weather, off Gijon, Spain.

The video was found on some social media channels in June 2020. When so many elementary mistakes are made and so many risks are taken, this is exactly what can happen! It's a demonstrative example of an unprofessional action: 1) Where is the life jacket? 2) No backpack on the shoulders. Use a rope to have the backpack lifted by the deck crew. 3) Where is the rest of the crew (on vessel / on the small boat) for safe assistance? What other mistakes have you discovered? We do not put videos...

"Analysis of reports indicates that pilot ladders (Pilot Transfer Arrangements, or PTAs) and
intentional deviations from safety procedures remain the main causes of near misses..."

On February 9th, 2023 Unites States Coast guard issued a safety alert (04-22-CH1) in which attention is drawn to the correct positioning of handhold stanchions onboard of ships.

Marine pilots must make crucial decisions under extreme conditions. Transferring from a cargo ship to a small pilot boat in hurricane-force gusts can be fatal. For marine pilots, this is the most dangerous moment in their daily working lives: climbing down a rope ladder from a cargo ship in gale-force gusts, and transferring to a small pilot boat. In mid-January, a pilot fell into the sea off Borkum and was taken to hospital suffering from hypothermia. Just a few days earlier, a British...

The author’s name is Mohammed Rida El Mariky, a senior pilot at Tangier Med Complex. He has 14 years pf pilotage experience in various Moroccan port and holds a Ph.D in Admiralty Law from the prestigious Paul Cézanne Faculty, Aix-en-Provence, France.