Preparation & Rigging of a Pilot Ladder

The Bridgemans Services Group has taken delivery of a new search and rescue (SAR) boat that can also be used for pilot transfer, firefighting, and pollution response duties.

Today, Nautitec took residence of their new offices at the construction site of the “Friesenbrücke” in Weener, the railway bridge which is connecting Weener to the Netherlands.

Commencement of the Open Testing phase for Pilot-Guard.org, a platform designed to enhance the safety of maritime pilots through effective deficiency reporting and data exchange.

View from the Bridge as the pilot navigates our 24,000 TEU vessel through the busy shipping channel safely to its berth. HMM thanks all the Pilots, Tug-Masters and Berthing Gangs for their important role in the safe passage of our fleet.

I have had the privilege of being at quite a number of meetings, conferences and seminars, sometimes representing The Netherlands, but mostly representing the Netherlands pilots. I have had many discussions about the role of pilots and pilot organisations, which lead me to write an article “What is the added value of pilotage?”, published in the February 2020 issue of Seaways.

Apparently there were two crew members on board, but no pilot. One of crew was recovered and declared dead, another one, skipper of the boat, is missing.

Here's a nice little video of sea trials during the recent unseasonal storm we had last month, which produced some pretty rough conditions at the entrance to Cork Harbour. We managed to capture some nice footage of the Barracuda and Thunder Child II on the day.

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.

Research on hydrodynamic interaction indicates that if the speed of the ship near a bank is too high, the rudder may be less able to cope with the forces induced and control will be lost. The Nautical Institute highlights this in its latest Mars Report, in which an LPG carrier hit a barge being towed by a tugboat as a result of hydrodynamic forces.