VLCC Collision & Propeller Fouling

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...

Spotted some Pilot Boats in the Port of Auckland, New Zealand and Melbourne & Fremantle Australia (Port codes: Auckland:NZ AKL ; Melbourne:AU MEL ; Fremantle:AU FRE).

A fierce debate of the future of the tanker ban off the northwest coast of British Columbia is escalating and now includes a demand from the Assembly of First Nations the Ottawa withdraw from its new MOU with Alberta to build a pipeline to the coast. Ben Mulroney speaks with Capt. Steve Kennedy, president of the British Columbia Coast Pilots about the rising tensions. For more info, please go to https://globalnews.ca/national/program/the-west-block Subscribe to Global News Channel HERE:...

"Although this should not happen, pilot ladders sometimes suddenly slip one step. Always grip the sideropes firmly and you can handle this!"

We take a look at some of the dangerous ladder arrangements provided by ships when attempting to take maritime pilots on board. Our message is simple: if you are offered an unsafe or non-compliant ladder, do not board!

There are many things in both our everyday and professional lives which we take for granted and never question the origins of, an example of this might be the IMPA recommended ‘pilot mark or pilot line’, which is sometimes seen on the side of vessels indicating where a vessels freeboard exceeds 9 metres.

Lack of standard user interfaces across bridge equipment is a major concern for maritime safety. Pilots are in a unique position, as they are constantly exposed to new and differing bridge working environments, equipment, interface designs and combinations of systems. As pilots face this problem throughout every shift they need to put in considerable effort to adjust their work to the many user interfaces they meet.

What happens when GNSS fails? In maritime navigation, this isn’t a hypothetical scenario – it’s a growing risk. Spoofing, jamming, and GNSS outages are increasing, especially in the Baltic Sea region. A failure can cripple navigation systems – with potentially serious consequences.

As Taiwan’s first female maritime pilot, Huang Chao-ling battles wind and waves every day as she guides ships safely into port. Her profession is high-risk and ultra-specialized, requiring years of experience at sea. Huang’s remarkable career is featured in Episode 50 of "The Soul of the Craftsman," a video series produced by the General Association of Chinese Culture. As strong winds blow and the rope ladder sways, maritime pilot Huang Chao-ling clambers up the ship, so that she can guide...

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...