Experiences of a Pilot: The port's chief pilot talks about his work, "what we do is not well known in the city", and about the risk they run, "on a bad day we can get scared", he says.

The hazards of Pilot boarding
Throughout 2016, the International Maritime Pilots’ Association (IMPA) held a safety campaign focused upon the standard of pilot ladders and associated equipment. CHIRP supported this campaign and received many reports on the subject.
This first report describes issues concerning pilot access near
the non-parallel ends of a ship, and use of a retractable platform.

It has been exactly one year ago that a pilot from Sandy Hook (New York), Dennis Sherwood, died in the line of duty while attempting to board the container vessel Maersk Kensington.
What has happened since then? Has safety been improved for the pilots?

On April 20, 2026, the Columbia River Bar Pilots conducted a MOB drill with the U.S. Coast Guard Station Astoria.

Crowley Engineering Services has completed the design of the first fully electric U.S. tugboat with autonomous technology — providing operators a sustainable and high-performing solution for ship assist and harbor services in any port.

Research on hydrodynamic interaction indicates that if the speed of the ship near a bank is too high, the rudder may be less able to cope with the forces induced and control will be lost. The Nautical Institute highlights this in its latest Mars Report, in which an LPG carrier hit a barge being towed by a tugboat as a result of hydrodynamic forces.

Please Consider Leaving Me A COMMENT Or A LIKE Or A Subscription. Thanks Very much for watching my channel. I Really Appreciate It.

The collaboration between Coast Guard Hong Kong and Camarc Design, a fiberglass double-sided hull with auto-righting function, enhances the safety index in bad weather conditions. Length 17.3 meters. Two Cat c18 diesel engines drive 670 hp each