Video Kittiwake Mersey Pilot
published on 22 December 2021
Video Pilot Transfer - New Zealand (Auckland) & Australia (Melbourne/Fremantle)
published on 21 October 2021
Article 1,000 Combinations around - Which one is correct?
by Arie Palmers, Netherlands - published on 22 October 2020
Article China wants to change pilot ladder regulations
published on 3 May 2022
Video The High-Stakes World of San Francisco’s Bar Pilots: A Virtual Reality Experience
published on 13 June 2023
Opinion Pilot transfer arrangements - Sharing knowledge matters – but problems go beyond non-compliance to SOLAS itself
by Kevin Vallance deep sea pilot and author - published on 23 September 2020
Like many seafarers I have long been a keen follower of The Nautical Institute’s MARS programme, and along with many other members I listened to the recent webinar on that topic. One theme which was repeated more than once was that it is better to learn from someone else’s misfortune rather than have it happen to you. Having personally been involved in two near misses resulting from unsafe pilot transfer arrangements in a relatively short space of time, I asked how experiences and knowledge specifically about pilot ladder safety could best be promulgated to avoid repeating common accidents or near misses.
Video Extreme scale model testing of the T-2000 hull design
published on 1 March 2023
We’re doing another day of testing with the self-propelled scale model of T-2000. Obviously the conditions here do comprehensively exceed the designs operational envelope, as in scale proportion to the model, the waves must be I guess around 10-20 metres in size. However it’s interesting to understand the designs ultimate limits. The model is built to a scale of fourteen to one, and this equals 20 metres in real life size. Later, by slowing down the video, so that it matches the speed of...
Video Presentation of manned ship models at Port Revel Shiphandling Training Centre
published on 24 October 2019
Port Revel is used for shiphandling training of maritime pilots, masters and officers on a 5 ha lake with 11 manned model ships representing 20 vessels, and 4 tugs at scale 1:25 and DGPS tracking system. Instructors are former maritime pilots.
Training on the scale models provides experience that could never be gained on real ships for the simple reason that neither ship-owners nor local authorities would allow such risks to be taken. Scale models allow the shiphandler to make mistakes....