#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
Video Pilot boarding MV ARKLOW MARSH in Spain (San Ciprian)
published on 4 September 2022
Video A day in the life of a PLA Pilot (London): 20 August 2025
published on 9 December 2025
Article Safehaven´s "Celso Madeira" for Portugal's Sines Port starts sea trials
published on 17 December 2021
Video Podcast: Making pilotage calls in adverse weather with Captain Joost Mulder
published on 20 August 2026
In this episode of the Wayfinder Podcast, we sit down with Captain Joost Mulder, a maritime pilot with over 20 years guiding vessels through the Port of Rotterdam, to break down how pilotage decisions actually get made in adverse weather. Captain Mulder walks us through: - How captains, pilots, and the harbor master share decision-making authority, and what happens when conditions turn borderline mid-transit - Why wind, more than current or wave height, is the biggest factor in port...