Columbia River Bar Pilots: Another Day at the office

She was the talk of the town and now she is gone till the next time. The Navios Unite, as she is called, is 1,100' long and 140' wide. That is 8' longer than a Nimitz class aircraft carrier and 6' wider at the waterline. The ship is so wide, it requires two pilots to transit. While in the top 5, it isn't the largest ship of any type to ever transit the river, but it is the largest container ship to do so.

Every day, Columbia River Bar Pilots guide massive cargo ships and tankers between the Pacific Ocean and the Columbia River, negotiating the Astoria bridge. Their job is to make that voyage often and make it safely, so you'd better believe they're paying attention to what happened in Baltimore. Read more: https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/the-story/columbia-bar-pilots-river-baltimore-bridge-collapse-cargo-ship/283-e3770397-292c-49e2-a7fd-b0d2db6ccdb1 Watch more The Story videos: http://...

In this video I will show you Grimaldi Lines Catania RoRo Ship

Up close with Ever Forward: Massive cargo ship stuck on Chesapeake Bay for a month

Life at Sea

Today I will discuss a very simple and useful practical trick often used by pilots.

When we have to berth a vessel with small clearances forward and aft (say 20 to 25 mtr fwd and aft) it is very essential that you are able to estimate your position. Now most of the time you have a berthing supervisor on jetty who will help you with position.

This video shows us what all takes place during unmooring and pilotage operation in detail. Must watch for all.

This video explains the IMO resolution on the provision and display of maneuvering information on board ships, particularly the pilot card, wheelhouse poster and maneuvering booklet. the layout and contents of each are explained as well. Contents of this video will benefit mariners preparing for exams (written and oral examinations). Mariners will also benefit by watching the following videos: Duties of the SAR mission coordinator: https://youtu.be/9J3q6XczIGE Duties of the on-scene...

It has been 1 month since the 1st case of coronavirus in the country. All airports were shut down, and mandatory confinement was issued 10 days ago. Nevertheless, Maritime shipping must continue (except for tourist related). The means that us pilots must continue with our duties despite the risks involved with all the ships' crews arriving from different countries. So we need to take all safety measures possible.
This particular maneuver was unberthing a chemical tanker, in loaded...