#PPUs have two elements: on the one hand, autonomous, wireless sensors that the pilot places on the ailerons of the vessel’s bridge to obtain data about the vessel’s movement; and on the other hand, a portable tablet computer that includes both navigation and voyage monitoring software.
#PPUs have two elements: on the one hand, autonomous, wireless sensors that the pilot places on the ailerons of the vessel’s bridge to obtain data about the vessel’s movement; and on the other hand, a portable tablet computer that includes both navigation and voyage monitoring software.
Opinion Piloting, Autonomous Vessels, AI, and the coffee making machine
by Captain Ricardo Caballero "Themaritimepilot" - published on 15 June 2020
I am not a computer savvy. My knowledge in programming and robotics and those sort of things is nil. I get lost in the sea of social media and easily entangle myself in the web. All I have done for the last 25 years or so is to pilot ships through the Panama Canal. However, during the last couple of years I have done my best to catch up with technology, since it has enhanced our possibilities and improved safety in our field. But still, I have to admit that I am way behind the new guys in this important issue.
Article Qastor: The evolution of pilotage software
by QPS. - Maritime Software Solutions - published on 6 November 2021
Article Operational notes & recommendations on Portable Pilot Units (PPU)
by United Kingdom Maritime Pilots Association - published on 2 December 2021
Article What is a Maritime Pilot? From "Crossing the Bar, The Adventures of a San Francisco Bay Bar Pilot" by Captain Paul Lobo
by Capt. Paul Lobo - published on 22 September 2020
Opinion Crew Voices: Fearful, Frustrated, Fatigued, Forgotten.
by Ivana-Maria Carrioni-Burnett - published on 2 September 2020
These are the feelings which have been voiced by the crews I have been in contact with during pilotage operations these last few weeks.
We have heard this said about many keyworkers in the UK over the last couple of months. First it was the NHS, then care workers and social workers, then bus drivers, train operators, lorry drivers and the supermarkets.
Video Recorded Webinar: Pilot Ladder safety and Pilot Transfer procedures
published on 15 October 2020
Video USCG Surf Training
published on 23 January 2021
Video Crossing Lake Superior on a 1,000 Foot Ship
published on 19 November 2025
This video gives you full access on board the 1000 foot Great Lakes ship Indiana Harbor of the American Steamship Company as it crosses Lake Superior from the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan to Two Harbors, Minnesota. It is a complete real experience that shows daily life and work with the crew who operate one of the largest ships on the Great Lakes. We board the ship at the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and I show exactly what it is like to step on board and begin the...