Associated Branch Pilots

For 170 years, the San Francisco Bar Pilots have been navigating the world’s largest ships through some of North America’s most difficult waterways. These state and federally-licensed master mariners are highly-specialized ship captains who rely on navigational experience, ship-handling skills, and local knowledge to transport more than $1.2 billion in goods to and from 200 Bay Area ports, docks, and berths every day. This critical service protects more than 1,000 miles of fragile coastline...

"Mariners may receive financial compensation for current and future medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, present and future lost wages, and pain and suffering."

An analysis by Ahmed Sati

Article by www.MaritimeCyprus.com: We'd like to bring to your attention the USCG Policy Letter 01-24, which provides “Guidance regarding devices that alter maneuvering characteristics of ships to ensure safe operation in waters of the United States”.

In this special episode of Beyond the Frame, we take a peek into the career of ship pilots as told through former Maryland pilot and artist Captain Brian Hope's work, Boarding a Liberty ship - 1947.

The pilots make docking mega-ships look easy despite the meteorological disturbance.
Great pictures from Morocco

Bermuda’s Department of Marine and Port Services has returned to Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corp., for a new Chesapeake-class pilot boat. The launch will be built to Lloyd’s Register class, with delivery scheduled for early 2023. The Somerset, Mass., shipyard built a 61-foot pilot/rescue vessel for the port service in 2011.

Med Marine and IBK Ltd. signed a two-vessel contract for MED-P16 series last November for Nigerian Ports Authority’s operations in Lagos, Nigeria. A year after that, Nigerian Ports Authority takes the delivery of the two high- quality pilot boats. Both units have been despatched on a specialised transport vessel to Nigeria from Turkey.

OPERATIONAL NOTES AND RECOMMENDATIONS by UKMPA, February 2017
The introduction of modern lightweight Portable Pilot Units (PPU) for use during pilotage has proved to be another major advance for pilotage operations worldwide.

The transfer of pilots to and from seagoing vessels should not rely solely on mutual trust and good intentions.