1969 Pilot Boat in Italy

Many people wonder how ships made it across entire oceans without getting lost in the seventeenth century. Aaron introduces seventeenth century navigation to us today by beginning with piloting.

Look at Life - City of Sailors - Portsmouth - 1965
Portsmouth is no longer the sea-faring city it once was; this film from the Documentary Series "Look At Life" Volume 5 - Cultural Heritage in 1965 looks at its changing face.

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.

The term pilot is defined as, “a person who is qualified and usually licensed to conduct a ship into and out of a port or in specified waters.” The Merchant Shipping Act 1894 states that, “a pilot is any person not belonging to a ship who has the conduct thereof.”

Throughout the world, mariners rely upon nautical charts to guide their voyages, to assist them in avoiding obstructions, and to note any special ocean conditions when sailing.

All working vessels on the River Mersey gathered in front of the Three Graces – Liver Building, Cunard Building and the Port of Liverpool Building. The formation included pilot launch boats, RNLI Lifeboats, river tugs, Mersey Ferries and the Disney Magic cruise liner. They all blew their whistles in tribute to The Sovereign, who passed away last week. River tugs will perform Fleur De Lis – spraying water from their fire cannons. Vessels currently within Liverpool and Wirral dock systems,...

Importance of Wearing Safety Helmets at Work. ... Hard hats or Safety helmets act as the first line of defense against head injury, but they only work when they are worn correctly. Thus, it's safe to say safety Helmets save lives and reduce the risk of brain injury. #wearenavigators info@wearenavigators.com www.wearenavigators.com

This updated video shows how easy it is to develop an arrival plan with the SAMMON Planning Tool. As a sample the arrival from appraoch until the berth to Ft. Lauderdale is used under strong current of 2kn. At the simulator training courses where we used this tool for preparation of a manoeuvring plan during the briefing sessions all nautical officers involved stated afterwards: "Why don't we have this tool on our ships?"

This survey on pilot ladder safety was initiated by Ewan Rattray. It is supported and recommended by well-known heads of the #dangerousladders Facebook group like Kevin Vallance, Arie Palmers and others.

Article by Seyed Behbood Issa-Zadeh & Claudia Lizette Garay-Rondero