ABB and Keppel O&M collaborate on autonomous tug with remote operation

There are some problems that never seem to go away and one is the perennial difficulties in providing a safe way of getting pilots on and off a ship.

After years of looking, the Port of Grays Harbor has its new pilot boat, the Vega, to replace the 60-year-old Chehalis.

The Virginia Pilot Association has added a new high-speed pilot launch to its fleet, delivered by Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation. This marks the tenth vessel built by the Somerset, Massachusetts yard for the association since 1983

In this paper, the risk of ship pilotage in Jiangsu section of the Yangtze River is studied by fuzzy comprehensive evaluation: risk factor identification, risk evaluation and decision making suggestion.

Fewer vessels in voyage mean less pilotage and this means less income for many Pilots. Not every Pilot is an employee and many pilots are self-employed and organised in a brotherhood per example. They are earning only money if they are piloting a vessel. No vessel – no money.

Another great education video by Knud Benedict (Germany): Practical experiments for getting useful data for planning.

The collision of 3 ships, an unfortunate event that highlighted the importance of human factors on accident causation,

Drydocking or undocking is always a difficult task, particularly with a “dead” vessel (no power/propulsion) and the wind blowing on the ship's side.

On board Pilot One during boarding maneuvers to one of the regular ferries that connects Tarifa with Tangier city.

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”.