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Video How to Launch a Pilot Boat–Behind the Scenes at Point Hope Shipyard
published on 20 June 2025
Welcome to Point Hope Shipyard in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. In this video, I follow the float off of the Pacific Navigator, a hardworking pilot boat that serves the Port of Victoria and Ogden Point. We watch as the vessel is pulled along the marine railway, rotated on the turntable, and positioned onto the cradle. Once secured, the cradle lowers to float-off depth, and the Pacific Navigator fires up her engines for a short harbour spin before returning to duty. Some segments,...
Video You Won’t Believe How A Pilot Boat Is Hauled Out for Refit
published on 24 September 2025
The Pacific Guardian pilot boat is first seen in Victoria Harbour near Ogden Point before making her way to Point Hope Maritime Shipyard for a full refit. This video captures the entire move process, from the cradle lowering into the harbour, to the careful docking of the vessel, to her move across the turntable and onto the spur line. Some of the footage has been sped up, since the cradle lowering and lifting are slow, deliberate operations where every movement is checked and rechecked....
Video Pivot Point Specials 2 - position for ship moving ahead or astern
published on 12 May 2022
Video Maritime Pilot Training II - Man overboard manoeuvre
published on 12 May 2021
Video Mindfulness in Shipping Webinar
published on 24 July 2020
Article Investigation of ship maneuvering with hydrodynamic effects between ship and bank
by Marine-Pilots.com - published on 12 July 2021
Article Study "Master (M. Eng.) Maritime Pilotage" in Germany
by Hochschule Wismar, University of Applied Sciences, Technology, Business and Design - published on 7 August 2024
Video SAMMON Demo Planning FtLauderdale Arrival with comments
published on 20 January 2021
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?"