Pilot Services News

Briggs Marine announced its is adding a new pilot vessel to its fleet in response to demand for pilot services within the U.K.Built by Goodchild Marine and scheduled for delivery in March, the Forth Navigator is a 12m version of the now well-established ORC design, incorporating the high levels of performance and crew comfort, Briggs Marine said.From March 2024, the Forth Navigator will be available for charter for a range of activities, including pilot boat duties and harbor patrol either on a short or long-term basis.

UK boat builder Goodchild Marine Services Limited said it is to build a new pilot boat for Portland Harbour Authority in Dorset. The Great Yarmouth based company will construct an ORC 121 for Portland Port; part of broader investment the port is making to enable larger cruise ships and Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships to berth alongside. Scheduled to enter service in 2025, the vessel will be the third pilot boat of its class in the Southwest, built and supplied by Goodchild Marine in recent years.Features of this class of vessel include a beak bow hull design with minimal drag…

Port Everglades' largest tenant is urging the Florida Board of Pilot Commissioners to reject a proposed fee increase for harbor pilot services that it says would unfairly raise average pilotage costs more than 100 percent for shipping lines that call frequently at the port.While the proposed fee structure would decrease fees for cruise ships, it would hike the costs for companies that operate frequent-call feeder vessels that sail in and out of Port Everglades, Crowley Maritime Corporation said in a statement.

In an unexpected reversal, it has been reported that the Houston Pilots yesterday notified Chairman Janiece Longoria of the Port of Houston Authority that they had withdrawn their latest application for a change in pilotage rates. Beyond this, the pilots requested in their letter dated October 18 that the application be removed from the agenda for the upcoming October 30 Board of Commissioners meeting.Upon being notified of the rate change application in September, no less than 15 shipping companies…

No less than 15 shipping companies, many of them top 10 liner companies, have written to Port of Houston Chairman Janice Longoria to reject the latest call for substantial rate hikes on the Houston Ship Channel. Local pilots already earn salaries that approach $500,000 annually.Like any other major U.S. port, registered foreign flag vessels must use a local state pilot on the Houston Ship Channel. According to local shipping stakeholders, the rates for those mandated services have spiraled more than 50% in the past 14 years alone.The rate increase proposal, a seemingly regular event at most U.S. ports over time, has on this occasion, struck a raw nerve at precisely the wrong time for industry.

Federal Pilots to appeal. Local spat has regional and national implications. The Galveston-Texas City Pilots and the five-member Board of Pilot Commissioners for Galveston County are facing a serious legal challenge from five pilot applicants and their local attorney. In a nutshell, local, federally licensed and similarly qualified pilots want to compete for business in a previously closed space. In Texas, like virtually every other U.S. state, a local group of pilots – so-called ‘state pilots’ are given the privilege of providing all marine pilot services for deep draft registered (foreign) traffic. In essence, it amounts to a legal monopoly.

Supertankers entering the Port of Long Beach will use ABB’s marine software to produce real-time data of the keel-to-seabed clearance, improving the safety and efficiency of the operations. Sensors fitted to Tesoro vessels will send information to a Portable Surveyor Box (PSB), carried by the pilot, which will verify their route to the dock. In this specific case, the system is used to continuously validate (and improve) pre-calculated motions from the online decision support system PROTIDE, which is used to calculate safe transit time windows for large oil tankers to enter the port.

A maritime Solutions Company in Dubai has just taken delivery of ASIS 9.5m Cabin RIBs for Security Patrol and Pilot Services. The multi-purpose custom built crafts will be used for Dubai International Port Operations on a daily basis. The 9.5m Rigid Inflatable Boats have a heavy duty fiberglass hull and an extra reinforced aluminium cabin superstructure. Deigned and certified under Category “B”, these RIBs have great stability and seaworthiness. They can withstand waves of up to 4m height and wind of Beaufort force 8. They are powered by Yanmar diesel Inboard engine of 315 Hp.

Sabine Pilots in Port Arthur, Texas has received a new all-aluminum pilot boat, Port Arthur. With a deep-V hull designed by C. Raymond Hunt Associates, the Chesapeake class pilot boat was built by Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation of Somerset, Mass. The vessel measures 53.6 feet overall, with a 17.8-foot beam and a 4.8-foot draft. The launch is powered by twin Caterpillar C-18s diesels, each rated at 715 Bhp at 2,100 rpm. Loaded top speed is 28 knots. The engines turn five-blade NiBrAl propellers via Twin Disc MGX-5135A Quick Shift gear boxes.

Tuco Marine has delivered the first vessel specially designed and equipped for pilot services to the shipping company Sea Charter A/S. The vessel, a ProZero 12m DC built at Tuco´s facilities in Faaborg, has been chartered to the Danish National Pilot Service Company DANPILOT, who will use the boat in a new flexible internal boat program. The ProZero 12m DC will enter service at several of DANPILTS pilot stations during the charter. The vessel underwent sea trials in the cold January conditions offered by the bay off Faaborg.

Over 75% of the world's vessels over 2,000 gross tonnes now permitted to carry digital nautical publications. The United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) can confirm that vessels flying the flag of the Russian Federation are now able to use ADP to meet carriage requirements for nautical publications. The Russian Federation is the world's eighth largest flag state, as measured by the number of vessels, and this decision allows the 2,322 vessels flagged by the Russian Federation…

For the third time in a row Jan de Nul Dredging chooses for No Limit Ships Shipyards. After first having bought two survey vessels, they now opted for a No Limit 1640 Crewtender with thirteen passenger seats. For the next five years the vessel is expected to be deployed for various projects in European waters and will be sailing under Belgian flag. At the customer’s request the vessel will be constructed in such a way that it will need only minor adjustments at a later stage to make it suitable as a survey vessel.

Grandweld Shipyards delivered  “Fujairah Pilot I” to Ports of Fujairah. The vessel was part of contract to design, build and deliver two sister pilot boats. The 21M “Discovery Class” design has already built a solid reputation for providing highly efficient pilot services. The advanced double chine hull design and all round fenders ensures quick and safe pilot transfer in all weather conditions. The vessel is equipped with 2x caterpillar C32 engines and twin Hamilton waterjets. The additional features resulted in increase in vessel weight whereby a strict weight control procedure was successfully implemented to monitor and maintain the vessel displacement within the design limits.

NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco recently appointed nine new members to the Hydrographic Services Review Panel, a federal advisory committee that gives NOAA independent advice for improving ocean and coastal navigation products, information, data and services. “Optimizing the benefits of navigation services and products is a priority for the agency,” said Margaret Spring, chief of staff for NOAA and the agency’s representative to the Committee on the Marine Transportation System (CMTS).

NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco recently appointed nine new members to the Hydrographic Services Review Panel, a federal advisory committee that gives NOAA independent advice for improving ocean and coastal navigation products, information, data and services. “Optimizing the benefits of navigation services and products is a priority for the agency,” said Margaret Spring, chief of staff for NOAA and the agency’s representative to the Committee on the Marine Transportation System (CMTS). “We look forward to hearing perspectives and receiving advice from our new committee members, who represent a wide variety of maritime and coastal zone stakeholder interests. Dr. Lawson W. Stephen Carmel, Maersk Line, Ltd. Jeffrey Carothers, Fugro Consultants, Inc. Dr. Dr. David A. Scott R.

Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation, has delivered a new “St. Johns” Class pilot boat for Freeport Harbour Company on  Grand Bahamas. Freeport Harbour Company is a member of the Hutchison Port Holdings Group, which operates the Freeport Container Port, Grand Bahamas Airport and provides pilot services. The all-aluminum high-speed launch, designed by C. Raymond Hunt Associates, measures 52.6 ft overall, with an 17-ft beam and 4.8-ft draft, and has a top speed of 27 knots.

Alnmaritec Limited announced recently that it has supplied two new fast patrol boats for duty at an LNG export terminal in the Yemen. The two new boats will join three other Alnmaritec boats which are already operating at the terminal providing line handling and pilot services. The new Wave Protector class patrol boats are 39 ft long by 10.5 ft wide and are powered by twin Cummins QSB 480bhp engines driving Ultrajet 305 water jets giving them a top speed of 38 knots. The brand…

The Coast Guard adjourned the formal hearings, Thursday, March 11, concerning the Jan. 23, 2010, incident involving the tank vessel Eagle Otome, the Gull Arrow and the tug Dixie Vengeance. The incident resulted in more than 400,000 gallons of oil being spilled into the Sabine-Neches waterway. Eric Lewis, the VTS watchstander, testified concerning his training, maritime experience, and the details of the displays and sensors he monitors as a watchstander. He also described his watch and the geographic area of the waterway he monitors.

Senator Slade Gorton (R-Wash.) introduced the "States Prevention of Oil Tanker Spills Act" (S. 2506), which seeks to reinstate Washington state oil tanker safety laws overturned by the Supreme Court in Intertanko v. Locke and United States v. Locke. In a press release, Senator Gorton said, "I disagree with the Court's decision, because I believe Washington State should be allowed to protect its shores as it sees fit." The Gorton legislation would reinstate the right of all states to adopt additional standards beyond existing federal requirements governing the operation, maintenance, equipment, personnel and manning of oil tankers. While the legislation would apply to all coastal states, Gorton's interest is focused on recently overturned Washington statutes.

Jacobsen Pilot Service Inc., Long Beach Calif. Received a new 54-ft. (16.4-m) welded aluminum pilot boat from Hike Metal Products Ltd. in Wheatley, Ontario, Canada this past July. Hike Metal was approached in the early summer of 2002 after Jacobsen Pilots services owner Tom Jacobsen had conducted a thorough review of the market and read an article about a new Pilot Boat Hike had just built and delivered to Atlantic Canada. While Jacobsen needed a new vessel for the growing demand for Pilot services in Long Beach, he also wanted a modern vessel, specifically designed for function…

Captain Tom Jacobsen, President of Jacobsen Pilot Services, Inc., a long-time provider of pilotage for the Port of Long Beach, announced that Long Beach Pilots would be attending a training course at MarineSafety International (MSI) in San Diego. The four-day course is designed to combine an opportunity for the Pilots to review the principles of Bridge Resource Management (BRM) and to sharpen their skills in working with new types of tugs an advanced towing strategies. Captain Vic Schisler, an active Long Beach Pilot, will instruct the course. Principles learned such as clear pilot-to-tug communications, team planning and coordinated execution, will be practiced throughout the four days.

Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation, has begun construction of a new St. Johns class pilot boat for Freeport Harbour Company in the Grand Bahamas. Freeport Harbour Company provides tugboat and pilot services in cooperation with the Grand Bahamas Port Authority. Delivery is scheduled for November. The all-aluminum high-speed launch, designed by C. Raymond Hunt Associates in Boston, measures 52.6 ft overall, with an 17 ft beam and 4.8 ft draft, and is expected to reach a top speed of 25 knots. The deep-V hull will be powered by twin Caterpillar C-18 diesel engines, each producing 671 Bhp at 2100 rpm and turning a 5-blade propeller. The gear boxes are Twin Disc model MGX5135A Quick Shift. The launch will be equipped with a 12kW Northern Lights generator.

Transas USA has secured orders from more than 50 of the marine pilots associated in the three Alaska Pilot Regions for Navi-Sailor 4000 Pilot PPU software. The scope of supply included the NS 4000 Pilot software, Alaska TX-97 Electronic Chart coverage and a product software upgrade program. NS 4000 Pilot software was initially developed in cooperation with the Pilot Services of the Swedish Maritime Authorities. Based on the IMO type approved Navi-Sailor 4000 ECDIS software, the NS 4000 Pilot has been adopted to meet the specific requirements of maritime pilots. While certain ECDIS functions not required in pilotage have been removed to streamline the user interface, a wide range of pilot specific features have been added.