Welcome to Pilotage Week!
There seems to have been a spate of pilot boat deliveries of late. They are and always have been very interesting and innovative craft. They often lead the way into patrol, rescue and leisure boats. They have, after all, to be comparatively small, nippy, very seaworthy and reliable. Mostly they are.
Most seem to be in the 12 to 23 metre LOA range and are almost always constructed of FRP or aluminium. Some are RIBs.
Their role, of course, is to safely deliver and recover pilots to and from ships in often very poor conditions. So, they have to be excellent seaboats. Most are. Their role can be very difficult and the actual transfer of the pilot is fraught with danger so the boats also have to serve as very good rescue and recovery craft for when a pilot, albeit reluctantly, goes for a swim.
The coming week on Baird Maritime, will see a lineup of new examples of pilot boats from around the world. There is some exciting innovation to come and many valuable lessons for operators of many other kinds of boats.
Vessel Reviews:
- P2 – Fast, durable 10m pilot boat for Venice operator
- Fells Point – First in new pilot launch series to serve Port of Baltimore
- L246 – Ice-capable pilot boat built for Finland’s challenging coastal waters
News and Gear:
- NTSB publishes report on fatal 2020 collision between tanker, fishing boat in Galveston, Texas
- BC pilotage authority adds 20m boat to fleet
- Australia’s Poseidon Sea Pilots to base two new boats at Mooloolaba
- GEAR | New job planner software to streamline harbour services at two Indonesian ports
- Russian yard to build new Arctic support workboat
- Boluda Towage expands operations in Mauritania
- New escort tug delivered to Rosmorport’s Arkhangelsk branch
- Ireland’s Port of Waterford to welcome new pilot boat
- Louisiana pilotage operator welcomes new boat to fleet
Recent Important Features:
COLUMN | Required reading [Tug Times]
– “The days when the master could be godlike, strong, silent or stand-offish are long gone.”
– by Alan Loynd, former General Manager of the renowned Hong Kong Salvage and Towage company
COLUMN | Will the Ever Given case lead to major changes? [Tug Times]
– “Is it reasonable to place all the responsibility on the master for operations he probably would not understand, or expect him to recognise a potential disaster and intervene in five seconds?”
– by Alan Loynd, former General Manager of the renowned Hong Kong Salvage and Towage company
Remember to come back every day to see the latest news, opinion and vessel reviews!
Call for content!
Any news or views about the global pilotage industry? Send it through to [email protected] ASAP (between now and November 5), so we can add it to this current edition of Pilotage Week!
We are after:
- Vessels – Orders, new deliveries, under construction
- Gear – Latest innovations and technology in the pilot boat sector
- Interviews – Owners, operators, port authorities, marine pilotage associations, etc.
- Reminiscences – Do you have any exciting, amusing or downright dangerous anecdotes from your time in the marine pilotage world? (example here)
- Other – Any other relevant news
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