The life of a Deep Sea Pilot by Roger Francis

Let us start a journey back in time. Back to the black and white films of history. The times have changed, but it is good to know what kind of things have changed and where are the roots of pilotage.

Look at Life Vol 01 Transport Pilot Aboard 1963
The story of Britain's pilotage services.

The Maryland Pilots have guided ships to and from Baltimore since the 1700's. They have been chartered as an organization since 1852. This is an edited except from films about the Pilots shot between 1950-1965 for the Port that Built a City and State. The original films are in the archives of the Baltimore Museum of Industry.

It remains a sad fact that accidents and near misses continue to occur during pilot transfers with frightening regularity. Most of these fortunately do not result in injury, and a surprisingly high number of them are not even recognised for what they are.

Surveys into pilot ladder safety consistently reveal that unacceptably high numbers of pilot transfer arrangements are not compliant with the regulations.

La Nouvelle-Calédonie, notamment la Grande Terre, a la particularité d'être complètement entourée par un lagon, seules quelques passes rendent son accès possible aux navires venant de l'étranger. La navigation maritime y est délicate car une bonne connaissance de la topologie des fonds sous-marins est indispensable. Tous les bateaux de commerces de plus de 60 m voulant accoster en Nouvelle-Calédonie doivent impérativement faire appel aux services des pilotes maritimes de Nouvelle-Calédonie,...

Join the pilot crew on the water for a behind-the-scenes look at marine operations at Port of Cromarty Firth.
From early starts on the Firth to working alongside visiting vessels, the pilot crew play a key role in supporting safe marine movements in and out of the Port. This video captures the skill, experience and coordination involved in helping vessels arrive, depart and operate safely within the Cromarty Firth.
With deep, sheltered waters and a busy mix of cruise, energy and commercial...

A video of a fellow captain at my work giving me my very first ride in the companies jet pilot boat. Im impressed.

A French munitions ship and a Norwegian steamer collided in Halifax harbour in December 1917, and the blast that followed remains the largest human-made explosion before the atomic bomb. Within six days, a formal inquiry opened — and within two months it placed nearly all the blame on one harbour pilot. Wreck Commissioner Arthur Drysdale's inquiry found Mont-Blanc's pilot and captain responsible for the collision that triggered the disaster, and all three men involved, including a naval...

Pilot boat "Muir Pilot" departing Pirate Harbour

This action seeks compensation for injuries he alleges have prematurely ended his career in shipping.