UK Ship Pilot Dies | Required Boarding Arrangements for Pilots | How a Pilot Boards | Am Pilot Assoc

Ship Pilot Dies

What's Going on With Shipping
January 15, 2023

In this episode, Sal Mercogliano - maritime historian at Campbell University and former merchant mariner - discusses the recent incident where a UK Maritime Pilot died while boarding a ship in the Humber estuary. He follows up with discussion about the UK and US pilot associations, the requirements for pilot boarding ladders, and how a pilot boards a ship.

#supplychain #pilot #shipping

Support What's Going on With Shipping via:
Twitter: @mercoglianos
Facebook: @wgowshipping

UK Ship Pilot Dies in Pilot Transfer Accident

UNITED KINGDOM MARITIME PILOTS' ASSOCIATION

The American Pilots' Association

Required Boarding Arrangements for Pilot

American Pilots' Association: The Most Highly Trained and Skilled Mariners in the World

How A Pilot Boards A Cargo Ship | Life At Sea

[knutkuhn]

I am a Seapilot Serving ships in river Weser and Jade to the ports of Bremerhaven and Wilhelmshaven. Thank you for honouring the work of maritime pilots all over the world.
My very deep condolences to his love ones

[danjordan]

Very sad. My condolences for family friends and all personnel involved. Pilots do a great service, often under the radar. RIP

[daviddixon]

Dad was a Humber Pilot retiring in the late 90s, as his son growing up I hadn't realised the dangerous nature of boarding ships in the dead of night with the sometimes ferocious North Sea and currents in and out of the Humber estuary, this sad news has made me feel proud of the work he and all the other Pilots do. Rip Mr Galia.

[anntaylor]

I watched from an upper deck on a moving cruise ship, how the pilot had to align himself with the liner and transfer from his boat. I think I held my breath !
I was amazed at his timing and skill.
When he left, he had quite an audience and we all clapped as he made it safely back. He gave us a lovely wave and smile as they returned to port.
Not surprised there are accidents. So sorry for this man and family . God bless them .

[robertf]

My deepest condolences to the Pilot's family and friends.

The Jacob's Ladder hasn't really changed in centuries, you would think we could find or develop better ways.

[Iamgone]

From someone who lives close to the Humber river, I just wanted to thank you for reporting on this incident with regard for family and colleagues

[Mondo]

Even this Engineer has been there. I caught a Port Relief Engineer job for a tanker coming in under the Golden Gate Bridge. I was told to show up for the pilot boat. So we rode it out to come alongside the tanker just when it came under the bridge. There was no accommodation or pilots ladder, just a jacobs ladder. Grabbing that ladder from the pilot boat with the ship still making Full Ahead in the dark was certainly different from the other ways I've joined ships.

Don't compare it to riding a launch from the dock to your ship while it is swinging on the hook in the harbor. All your senses are on high alert in the pilot boat scenario. You don't want to fall in. That water is cold and there's no guarantee they'll find you in time.

Sal - Good job explaining the dangers of this exercise. This video especially is much appreciated.

[wgowshipping]

I talked with a senior pilot in a major US port and this is what he said regarding a safety line:

"The rail on the ship is not a static point to work off of. It is being lifted 10 or 20 feet up and down, fire and aft in the sea. It looks static from the perspective of someone standing next to it aboard the ship.

Same with the pilot down on the pilotboat. Both vessels are always moving in each direction independently.

Today I boarded a ship in fairly tough conditions and the idea of a being clipped to a wire hanging from the rail of the ship twenty feet above me (and that distance constantly changing in unpredictable directions and speeds would have been a deal breaker for me.

See if you could rig the line above the wall on a wheel that moves up, down, left, right, in and out ten or twenty feet at a time unpredictably. Then approach the wall on a trampoline that is also being lifted and dropped in all those directions. Clip in and see how helpful the rig is."

[cheesemuncher]

Thanks for covering this story. Here in the UK the mainstream media have not given it a mention!!!

[michaelchartres]

In 1958 I was a Cadet Officer on a ship leaving Wellington NZ on Christmas Eve. We were leaving to save harbour dues over the Christmas/New Year break. It was stormy and the seas were very rough. They took a tug boat and barge with a tarp stretched over the hold of the barge and the pilot jumped from the ladder onto the tarp!!! Goodness knows how much they paid that pilot !!
I have a deep respect for what they do and was very sad to hear of the accident.

[hootowl]

As a rock climber, I'm surprised there isn't a rope lowered from above which would be clipped onto a harness that the pilot wears. Once clipped in, pilot would join ship ladder and climb, someone above pulling the rope up as pilot climbs. Granted, a rope can get fouled, be in the way, etc., but falling more than a few feet would be impossible.
Pilots need to be in good physical condition too, obviously. I assume that is a requirement.

[chiefsnarlsnortz]

Retired Coastie, did Vessel Traffic Service in New Orleans ‘84-‘86 & San Francisco twice. We had to do occasional orientation rides with a pilot! My first was NOBRA 57 (New Orleans Baton Rouge Association). Those ladders need all the respect you can muster!

[rorybrown]

A very good friend of mine died while working as a Pilot in 2007. After years at sea as a ships master he decided to work closer to home as a Pilot working mostly off Felixstowe UK. He suffered a fatal heart attack while transferring from the pilot boat to a very large deep draught vessel. The sheer exertion of the transfer exacerbated an undiagnosed heart condition and he tragically died. I think the difficult and dangerous work that pilots do deserves more recognition.

[johnheaneay]

Retired Master Australia. Toad to the risk some ships do not correctly position (for pilot boarding - ie Lee or course ) and also suitable speed. Often also Language difficulties, visibility et all combine to make this so difficult and that omits the Sea state etc as well.
Having seen and boarded /Disembarked many pilots I admire respect them for all they have to deal with. Sad to hear of this issue and my sympathy to all involved

[andysaunders]

My step-dad was a tanker captain, a ship's pilot, and then went onto lifeboats in the UK.
Bravest man I ever knew.
Sorely missed.

[Snoozzzzzze]

I’m in the U.K. and this is the first that I have heard of it. Such a shame and respect to the family. ❤️

[RescueEMS]

Captain, as a Coast Guard boarding team member after 9/11, I have participated in over 100 boardings using a jacob's ladder. This is the default method in the US. The SF Bar pilots that we boarded with faced extreme risks in boarding and departing vessels. In just one year there were 8 events where a CG member was exposed to a extreme risk (over and above the usual danger). Our after action reports were reviewed and the CG tried a "vertical delivery" via a CG helicopter on a hoist. This evolution presented new dangers as the landing spot on most container ships was a maximum of 6 feet square. Everything your outlined in your narrative happened at one time to one of my team members. Some ships had jacob's ladders that were so old that the steps or the ropes disintegrated when being used. Thank God for the "man rope" (a line thrown over the side and laid next to the ladder for you to grab onto if you detach from the jacob's ladder). The other most dangerous action is when the merchant ship swings its stern into the pilot boat. That crushed the rails of the pilot boat, tossing two of my team down onto the deck. Even if the gear does not fail, the ships crew does everything right, the weather can step in and make it a very bad day. This is an excellent primer for the public to see how pilots worldwide are daily heroes. And yes, the timing of the "jump" from the pilot boat to the jacob's ladder is the most gut wrenching thing undertaken in the whole process. You miss, you are dead.

[axelknutt]

Very surprised that the pilot doesn’t wear a harness and clip-on at the very least when he’s on the Jakobs ladder. In my country you can’t even climb on the roof of a house without a safety harness - and a house isn’t moving up/down and side-to-side.

[greggb]

Damn Sal, the gentleman was just in sight of retirement.., hate to hear this.., peace be with his family.
Great report sir,
Thank you.

[Woffy.]

Cpt John Temple Snr Pilot used to bring the ships into the Mersey (Liverpool). This meant a 45 minute drive to Port Linus then 30 minutes on the Pilot cutter to meet the ship at the Bar Light. Then came the transfer in swells of several meters and 40 knt winds. Climbing up a G3 container ship took a lot of strength. We take such courage for granted. My condolences.