Welcome to THE PILOT, the magazine of the United Kingdom Maritime Pilots’ Association (UKMPA) www.ukmpa.org

his home page contains press cuttings updated whenever I get time. I normally change the photo when I update the site content. Specific topics may be found using the search box at the top of this page.

Please Note: All the content is made freely available for research purposes but if you wish to use any content in another publication please contact me for permission from the author.

The opinions expressed in the content are those of the authors and are not necessarily those endorsed by the UKMPA

Finally it should, in particular, be noted that the analysis of incidents and investigations are my own personal interpretation and reference should always be made to the original reports via the embedded links.

John Clandillon-Baker FNI: Editor alias (JCB)

1988 - 2008

October 2008 marks the 20^th Anniversary of the implementation of the appalling 1987 Pilotage Act. This photo, taken in 1988 by Retired Clyde pilot Ewan Ramsay, depicts the floating exhibition of shipping company Funnels by Sculptor George Wylie produced for the 1988 Garden Festival in the former canting basin at Princes Dock, Glasgow.The funnels tilted at differing angles depending on the height of tide at the time.

Left to right: Clan Line, Blue Star Line, Donaldson Line, Baron Line, Brocklebanks, Lyle Shipping Co., Lamport & Holt Line, Houlder Brothers

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13/10/08  The October issue has now gone to print and should be with members around the 25th October. The Content will be uploaded to this site in mid November.

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HIGH SPEED PILOTAGE PASSAGES!

Houston pilot Louis Vest has taken a time lapse photo sequence navigating and berthing a vessel at night in the upper reaches of the Houston Ship Canal. Enjoy it at the following link:

http://gcaptain.com/maritime/blog/running-the-houston-ship-channel-at-night/

And, just in case you haven’t already seen it, here’s one, outward bound in daylight,that he made earlier . The same page also has a link to a transit of the Panama Canal in 75 seconds.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oneeighteen/2443170048/in/photostream

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BBC RADIO 4 PROGRAMME ON PILOTS

www.impahq.org/

ARTICLE ON PILOTS IN THE TIMES NEWSPAPER

women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/the_way_we_live/article3122236.ece

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MCA INVITES HELP FOR LRIT

The
Maritime and Coastguard Agency is  inviting organisations who wish to undertake Long
 Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) ship equipment conformance testing to respond
to an invitation to be appointed as Authorised Testing Application Service Providers (ATASPs).  

Organisations wishing to respond should request an invitation pack from
Mr C Blockley-Webb,
MCA Headquarters,
Spring Place, Bay 2/2,
105 Commercial Road,
Southampton SO15 1EG,
Telephone +44 2380
329356 or by e-mail to chris.blockley-webb@mcga.gov.uk.  

This testing must start very soon and therefore the response time is very short - replies to
the invitation are required by 2 weeks from the date of this email ending on
Monday 27 October 2008.

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MAIB criticism prompts union to call for mandatory regime

David Osler - Wednesday 8 October 2008

A SEAFARERS’ union has renewed its call for the Port Marine Safety Code to be made mandatory, following some sharp implicit criticism of the way it operates contained in a recent Marine Accident Investigation Branch report.

Meanwhile, the British Ports Association said that it is working with the Department for Transport on an updated version, which should be available for consultation towards the end of the year. But it maintained its insistence that the code should remain voluntary.

MAIB recently issued its finding over an incident involving the Svitzer-operated tug Flying Phantom, which sank with the loss of three of its four crew during transit of the River Clyde in thick fog in December last year.

According to the MAIB’s conclusion, Clydeport’s risk assessment was poor and the few control measures put in place after an earlier, similar incident proved ineffective. Clydeport’s reliance on ISO9001 quality management audits was described as “fatally flawed”, while more generally, UK ports as a whole were said to have failed to learn the lessons from accidents that occur elsewhere.

In possibly the most damning passage, MAIB argues: “Since the PMSC’s introduction, MAIB has conducted 23 investigations into contacts, collisions and groundings in port waters (out of a total of 44 for this type of accident).

“Notable accident investigations in the last three years have included the ports of Newhaven, Mostyn, Liverpool and the Humber. In the cases involving the ports of Liverpool and Humber, both had a contributing factor of inadequate or incomplete procedures for operations in restricted visibility.

“Recommendations from these investigations have been aimed at the ports industry, yet it appears that the lessons from an accident at one port are not always being learnt by others.”

Issues surrounding the PMSC were last highlighted at a hearing of the House of Commons transport committee last June, when leading port industry representatives argued strongly that it should retain its current footing.

The code is demonstrably working and should not be subject to additional bureaucracy, they maintained.

But a spokesman for officers’ union Nautilus UK said yesterday: “If the Port Marine Safety Code were mandatory, as we believe it should be, the checks on its mandatory operations would have highlighted its shortcomings.”

A system based on self-certification is no longer tenable and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency should enforce it, he argued.

However, British Ports Association director David Whitehead said thePMSC’s voluntary status allowed more flexibility, as it could regularly be updated without the need for time-consuminglegislation. Just such an update is under way, he said.

“By any measure, we need to take another look at it.

“The Flying Phantom is one of the things we want to factor in.”

UK Major Ports Group executive director Richard Bird said his organisation was aware of the MAIB’s concerns and took them seriously.

He also pointed to the forthcoming overhaul and said he accepted that the code needed updating but felt it should remain voluntary.

The test of taking to new waters

As cruise lines seek out new destinations in the battle for passengers, their ships face an array of fresh navigational challenges. Janet Porter was on the bridge of Fred. Olsen’s Braemar as it transited the Bosporus for the first time, and spoke to the pilot about the waterway’s hazards

Monday 29 September 2008

“LOOK, there’s a ship showing up on the radar,” the pilot pointed out to the master.

“But there’s nothing there,” he said, as the pair peered ahead to clear water with not a vessel in sight.

That is one of the quirks of the Bosporus that can catch out inexperienced masters, and why Cahit Istikbal, president of the Turkish Maritime Pilots’ Association, believes that navigating this narrow link between the Sea of Marmara and Black Sea can be so risky.

Electric cables across the waterway at one point between the two halves of Istanbul give the impression of a ship on radar screens, Capt Istikbal explained to Trond Lippestad, master of Braemar, as he guided the cruiseship through the Bosporus. The cables are clearly marked on charts but even so, ships transiting the Bosporus in poor visibility have on occasion taken unnecessary evasive action and ended up running aground.

For Capt Lippestad, who was going through the Bosporus for the first time, it was a a useful tip. But that is by no means the only challenge for shipping and the local authorities as deepsea traffic, local ferries, fishing boats and all manner of other commercial vessels and pleasure craft jostle along and across the channel.

Although the number of cruiseships that head from Istanbul to the Black Sea is still relatively modest, with the biggest unable to pass under the two bridges that span the Bosporus, there has been a huge increase in tankers and containerships that go through each day as the regional economy expands.

The total number of ships sailing through the Istanbul strait has risen from just under 47,000 in 1995 to more than 56,000 last year, with tankers now accounting for 18% compared with 9% in the mid-1990s.

Air draught rather than deadweight is one of the size limiting factors, while ships in excess of 300 m must give 72 hours notice of their sailing plans.

But although any ships departing from a Turkish port are required to take a pilot, those going directly through the Bosporus, which is classified by the Montreux Convention as an international waterway, are under no such obligation.

Yet the conditions can be extremely hazardous, and all the Nato ships that headed into the Black Sea recently, as tensions in Georgia heightened, took local pilots.

But overall, fewer than half use a pilot, even though statistics compiled by the Turkish Maritime Pilots’ Association show that 85% of all accidents in the past 22 years involved ships that did not have a pilot on board.

When Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ Braemar left Istanbul for the Black Sea, a force seven gale was blowing and the mid-stream current was running at about 12 knots. The Black Sea is about 1 m higher than the Marmara Sea, adding to the need for some local knowledge about navigational conditions.

As the 195 m long ship edged away from the berth and was then spun through 180° by a tug, not far from a dredger and a small tanker heading in the opposite direction, nine local ferries could be seen sailing back and forth in the immediate vicinity. One actually scooted right across the bow of the Braemar as the cruiseship swung round. But Capt Istikbal, vice-president of the International Marine Pilots’ Association, took it all in his stride.

Although a one-way system operates for most ships sailing through the Bosporus, an exception is made for passengerships, hence the need for extra vigilance. Capt Istikbal kept a close eye on small fishing boats that may have been unaware of a cruiseship going against the constant flow of tankers, containerships, gas carriers and general cargoships heading from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean.

For the master of a cruiseship, there is more to consider than the navigational demands of a particularly narrow and busy waterway.

Capt Lippestad did not forget to keep passengers informed about what they were passing on either side while he, too, enjoyed the local sights for the first time.

This voyage marked Braemar’s maiden call to Romania’s Constantza, and the Ukrainian ports of Odessa and Sevastopol, always an extra challenge for senior officers. In the case of Sevastopol, the former base of the Soviet Union’s Black Sea fleet and closed to the outside world until about a decade ago, there was little information about the water depth alongside the dock.

Security is another issue, and appears to be non-existent on the quayside in some of those ports only just starting to handle cruiseships, putting extra pressure on the crew as they check returning passengers. But incidents are extremely rare, with Capt Lippestad only recalling one case of an attempted stowaway on another Fred. Olsen cruiseship.

With oil prices so high, chief engineer Oleg Lapshov does all he can to economise without inconveniencing passengers. That may involve seemingly small measures such as dimming some lights at night, but also means keeping absolutely to schedule so that extra fuel does not have to be burned while making up time.

“Punctuality is essential,” says Capt Lippestad. Passengers and crew are required back on ship well before departure time to ensure there are no unnecessary delays. The recently-refitted, four-engined Braemar consumed 900 tonnes of heavy fuel oil during a recent 3,392-mile cruise, but even a ½ knot speed increase would have pushed that figure up considerably.

The 1993-built Braemar was acquired by Fred. Olsen in 2001 and extended by 31.2 m by Blohm+Voss Repair earlier this year. That lifted passenger capacity from 727 to 968.

The Oslo-based company has traditionally focused on the British market after first operating passenger and freight services between the UK and Norway before expanding into the cruise sector.

Economic slowdown has reduced advance bookings, with more last-minute cruise reservations. But otherwise, recessionary fears do not appear to be having much impact yet on passengers’ onboard spending, says hotel manager Leo Hübsch.

Fred. Olsen targets the 50+ age group, which should be relatively immune to current financial worries — althougholder passengers are also less likely to run up such large bar bills as youngerclientele.

But food is another matter, with Braemar’s passengers and 360 crew eating their way through 18,560 eggs, 2,120 kg of pork, 2,668 kg of potatoes, 17,600 portions of butter — and much more — during a recent two-week cruise from Rome and across the Aegean to the Black Sea. And the 24,344 gt Braemar is a small ship compared with the new generation of giants now entering service.

All provisions are loaded in the UK, with cruise lines unable to rely on either the quality or quantity of supplies that may be available in local ports.

Rigorous hygiene procedures, with everyone required to wash their hands in a disinfectant foam each time they board the ship or enter a restaurant, are designed to reduce the risk of Norovirus outbreaks.

But for Capt Lippestad and his opposite numbers on other cruiseships, there is more to the job than health and safety. Passengers have to be entertained, kept happy and given the chance to be photographed with the captain — not the sort of demands that the average master of a cargoship has to contend with.

Neither do they have the headache of breaking disappointing news about schedule changes, as Capt Lippestad did when heavy seas forced Braemar to skip a call to the Greek island of Mykonos.

But he knows how to win over customers with a touch of humour.

“If you have any complaints, please submit them to me personally, in writing,” he urged his British passengers. “In Norwegian.”

Safety agency says accidents in 2007 rose by more than 200

Sandra Speares - Monday 13 October 2008

STATISTICS produced by the European Maritime Safety Agency on casualties last year point to a significant increase over those recorded for 2006, writes Sandra Speares.

EMSA reports that 762 vessels were involved in 715 accidents in 2007 compared to 535 vessels in 505 accidents in 2006.

The results cover accidents involving all kinds of commercial vessels including fishing trawlers in and around EU waters.

The EMSA report says the statistics reflect “trends in global reviews undertaken by P&I Clubs and other maritime interests”. The report also notes that statistics compiled by class society Det Norske Veritas show that a ship is twice as likely to be involved in a serious grounding, collision or contact accident today compared to five years ago.

The majority of the vessels in the survey were involved in collisions and contacts — around 40% for both years. Some 26% were groundings in 2007 compared to 22% in 2006. Sinkings accounted for 7% of the total compared to 8% in 2006, while fires and explosions were 12% of the total, against 9% in 2006.

Over 80 seafarers died in accidents in and around EU waters last year, compared to around 75 in 2006.

Almost 45% of vessels involved in accidents were in the 500 gt-5,000 gt range, most of which were general cargo ships. Around 20% were under 500 gt and less than 5% of vessels involved in accidents were over 50,000 gt.

Some 60% of vessels involved in accidents flew EU flags, the report says, and in 30% of accidents last year, the vessels were not certified by classification societies. Of those that were certified, all but 10 were with EU recognised societies. Some 80% of vessels involved in accidents were EU-managed ships.

“The progressive increase in the number of accidents around the world is one of the greatest concerns at the moment, as this is reported to be adding significantly to the cost of shipping insurance, in particular, as total claims increase,” the report says.

The report notes the argument by many experts that recruitment and training is failing to keep pace with the growing number and size of ships in the global commercial fleet.

It cites: “Rapidly increasing commercial pressures, plus an increasing regulatory burden, resulting in higher workloads per seafarer, a shortage of experienced crew and existing officers being promoted before acquiring the necessary experience.”

Cargo ships were involved in 330 accidents in 2007 compared to 253 in 2006. Ten general cargo ships and one bulk carrier sank last year with the loss of 20 lives.

Tankers were involved in only 8% of accidents in and around EU waters last year, second only to cruise ships.

The most significant accidents described in the report for 2007 were the Sea Diamond sinking off the coast of Santorini, with the loss of two lives, and the sinking of the support vessel Bourbon Dolphin with the loss of eight lives. The most widely publicised incident was that of the MSC Napoli, which was deliberately grounded following a structural failure.

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THE UNITED KINGDOM MARITIME PILOTS’ ASSOCIATION (UKMPA)

The U.K.P.A. was founded in Bristol by Commander George Cawley in 1884. Pilots from 18 Districts attended its Inaugural Conference, its objective was to influence the development of Pilotage and Associated Regulations, including Acts of Parliament, and to help those members around the country who found themselves in difficulty .

The U.K.P.A. was involved with the development of all the Pilotage Acts from 1889 to 1987 and the Merchant Shipping Act of 1894. Other examples of matters addressed by the U.K.P.A. include a resolution at the 1934 Conference “that a Pilots’ Benefit Fund be established in every port”.

In 1942 the pilots from 5 Districts decided to leave the U.K.P.A. and joined the T&G, forming the Marine Pilots’ Branch (M.P.B.)

In 1963 the U.K.P.A. participated in the discussions which led to the formation of the European Maritime Pilots Association (E.M.P.A.), formally joining the new organisation in 1964.

In 1985 the U.K.P.A. was faced with several problems, not least that (shared with the M.P.B.) of impending radical legislation and the UKPA and MPB joined forces to become the U.K.P.A.(M), a section of the Transport & General Workers’ Union.

In  2000,  Conference voted to rename the Association the United Kingdom Maritime Pilots’ Association (UKMPA). The UKMPA retains the same day to day autonomy as had been the case with the two previous organisations, but under the umbrella of the T&G rules.

The UKMPA has its own office in Transport House, London and a full-time Union Officer, currently Mr. G. Stevenson, is the UKMPA National Secretary. The UKMPA holds an annual delegate conference where all Districts can be represented. There is a national Section Committee consisting of a Chairman, Vice-chairman, and six members (all are serving pilots), one of whom is elected as Treasurer/Secretary. Section Committee elections are held annually. The UKMPA Technical & Training Sub-Committee is a sub-committee of the UKMPA Section Committee and deals with all aspects of pilotage, e.g. Protective Clothing, Boarding/Landing equipment, Health & Safety and training etc. There is regular communication, via circulars, between the Section Committee and each Pilotage District’s locally elected District Secretary. The District Secretary is responsible for the dissemination of information to members. The Pilot magazine is published quarterly and is the official record of the UKMPA. After more than 100 years of looking after the interests of Marine Pilots, the UKMPA, which represents 98% of U.K. pilots, looks forward with confidence to the next 100 years.

Current President: Lord Tony Berkeley Curent Chairman: Joe Wilson (Tees pilot)

The UKMPA is affiliated to the:

European Maritime Pilots’ Assiation (EMPA)

International Maritime Pilots’ Association (IMPA)

To visit the websites please click on the logos on the top right of this page

The U.K.M.P.A. is also affiliated to the I.T.F. (International Transport Workers’ Federation, Seafarers Section) www.itfglobal.org/index.cfm with access to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) where matters such as VTS, standards of ship manoeuvrability, electronic charting, passenger ship safety, etc., are discussed at an international level.

The Editor

JOHN CLANDILLON-BAKER FNI

I am a Master Mariner and started my career as a deck cadet with Ellerman Lines in 1969. Having obtained my Master’s Class 1 certificate in 1981 I left Ellerman City Liners to work in Nigeria for Ocean Inchcape (Nigeria) Ltd as supply vessel / tug master. In 1983, still with OIL (Nigeria) I became a pilot/ loading Master at the Bonny offshore oil terminal, handling VLCC’s at the Single Buoy Mooring (SBM) facility off the Nigerian coast. In 1987 I returned to the UK and worked ashore for an import and distribution company and during this time also skippered the owner’s yacht. In 1989 I became a Pilot with the Port of London Authority where I am still employed full time as a Class 1 senior pilot, handling all classes of vessel from VLCC’s to small coasters in the Thames Estuary and the river berths to seaward of Crayford Ness. I have been the volunteer editor of the magazine since 1996. The magazine is published quarterly.

The articles and features have all either been written by me or by volunteer contributors. Whilst they are made freely available for genuine research please contact me for permission if you wish to reproduce any of the articles or parts of articles in a journal or research paper. I normally just require an acknowledgement credit to the author and the magazine.

A career in pilotage

Who or what is a pilot?
The following definition was established by the Merchant Shipping Act 1894 which states that:
“Pilot means any person not belonging to a ship who has the conduct thereof.”

What does a pilot do?
Basically the pilot is a seafarer who has detailed knowledge of a port approach or dangerous navigational area and who uses that knowledge to ensure the safe passage of a vessel through the pilotage district.

What is the difference between a Captain and a pilot?
The Captain (Master) always has command of the ship and thus has ultimate responsibility for the safety of the ship, its cargo and crew. The pilot has the conduct of the ship in the pilotage district and upon boarding a vessel provides a passage plan for the transit and directs the course and speed of the vessel to execute the passage plan.

Locations:
These are worldwide and the majority of pilots work within a specific port. There are however non-specific port areas where pilots work offshore. These areas tend to be either of environmental importance, (Great Barrier Reef) or areas of high navigational dangers (English Channel and North Sea) and are voluntary rather than compulsory areas.

Types of employment
Every port is responsible for deciding which ships are to be subject to compulsory pilotage. Pilots fall into several categories but the following represent the main groups:
· Directly employed by the port
· Self employed and contracted to provide the pilotage service to a port
· State employees.

Labour profile & Qualifications
Pilots are generally professional seafarers who have served on ships in the capacity as a deck officer. The majority of pilots serving the major ports of the world hold a deep sea Master’s qualification and have served as Captain on a merchant ship. There are exceptions to this with some districts recruiting and training pilots from the local community. An example of this is the USA where in many major ports pilotage is a family business. In the smaller ports pilots will often be recruited from those familiar with the local waters, and in many such ports it is not unusual for the pilot also to be the harbour master. Reflecting this it can be said that entry qualifications for pilots will range from a general maritime qualification to a full Master’s certificate. It is probable that an international standard for pilots and a specific pilotage qualification will be introduced in the next few years which will establish a structured career path into pilotage.

Employment prospects
Excellent! In most countries the majority of pilots will be retiring in the next 15 years or so. There is currently a world shortage of qualified junior officers and this will inevitably lead to a serious shortage of pilots in the next 10 years. Salaries obviously vary enormously but as a general guide the salary is equivalent to the sea going salary obtainable with the qualification held.

Outline of a pilot’s duties
The pilot’s main role is handling ships on and off the port wharfs and facilities and ensuring the safe transit of shipping in and out of port during what is recognised as the high risk element of a ship’s passage. The priority is the safety of the ship, the environment and the port facilities. Ship handling is obviously the prime skill required of a pilot but a competent pilot also needs to be able to monitor all the elements which may affect the passage and to adapt the passage plan accordingly. A high professional attitude is required in order to gain the confidence of the Master and to integrate into the ships bridge team. The responsibilities involved in handling vessels, sometimes with high risk cargoes or poor manoeuvrability and perhaps communications difficulties, in environmentally sensitive areas can induce high stress levels and the ability to keep a clear head and remain calm in moments of high tension is a desirable quality!
Pilotage is a 24-hour operation all year round and pilots normally work on rostered shifts. Since ships arrive off ports in a random manner the workload can lead to irregular sleep patterns although most seafarers used to on board watch-keeping will have no problem adapting to this.

Training
Again this varies widely and is dependent upon the size and complexity of the district. In the major ports training lasts from 4 - 6 months and is generally practical with trainees accompanying qualified pilots on all the different classes of ships using the port. On completion of this initial training the candidate will be examined and granted an “Authorisation” or “Licence” to pilot. The new pilot will normally be restricted to small vessels and will progress to the largest ships over a period of around four years with annual assessments between grades.

The future?
Enhanced navigation systems capable of interacting with a port’s VTS will probably result in the reduction of the number of vessels subject to compulsory pilotage in port approaches. However, I personally feel that due to the complexities involved in ship manoeuvring and close quarters interaction with other shipping in confined port areas, pilots will remain a cost effective addition to the bridge team of a ship for the foreseeable future.

Further information:

United Kingdom Maritime Pilots’ Association (UKMPA): www.ukmpa.org
International Maritime Pilots’ Association (IMPA): www.impahq.org
European Maritime Pilots’ Association (EMPA): www.empa-pilots.org

PORTS: www.iaphworldports.org
VTS: www.worldvtsguide.org

July 2008 (294)

Contents:

• Editorial
• 119th UKMPA conference
• The Humber Case
• Pilots Under Siege?
• Maritime Memories Cruise
• Chairman’s Report
• Pension News
• The Cosco Busan
• Book Review
• EMPA Football
• Obituaries
• Letter
• Insurances
• The Marine Bill

April 2008 (293)

Contents

• Squat 2 Mud Navigation & Negative Under Keel Clearance
• Squat update: What Squat?
• Retirements: John Marshal & Alan Purvis. End of an era on the Tyne
• To be a pilot: Career or Destiny. The story of a pilot family by David Raddings (ex HPL)
• Civil & Criminal Liabilities in Pilotage
• The Bridge Teram: Master /Pilot relationship
• Obituaries : Daniel McMillan, Anthony Thurgood
• Letter: Squat Feedback

January 2008 (292)

Contents

• Squat Part 1
• Mysteries of Pilotage by Barrie Youde
• Is This Bridge Fit For Purpose?
• Pilot Gigs update
• Belfast Pilots. Letter ref self employment
• Obituary: Eric Wray
• Meester Pilot, Where are you again? Another grounding (Maersk Diadema)  off a port approach
• Retired Liverpool pilot, Dave Devey reveives the MN medal
• Dyneema: a new mooring rope

October 2007 (291)

Contents

• The Pilot gigs of Cornwall & The Scilly Isles
• Retirement: Ralph Bird, gig builder
• New pilot cutter design. The french “ORC”
• Obituary: Colin Vine
• Status of a Pilot
• Permanent International Association of Navigation Congresses (PIANC)

July 2007 (290)

Contents

• Crimson Mars Grounding
• GMDSS revalidation for UK pilots
• Criminalisation of Mariners (including pilots)
• Employment v Self employment of UK Pilots
• Sunk VTS suspended!
• Sailing on Logos 2 :  Chris Hughes (Europilots)
• Future of UKMPA? The Responses
• Obituaries: Bruce Fulton, gerald smith,
• HMS Worcester
• Brief History of HQS Wellington (IMPA HQ)

April 2007 (289)

Contents

• Maritime Lady, Sunny Blossom, Arctic Ocean: Report into Collision off Brunsbuttel
• New Technology Radar: Kelvin Hughes’ “Sharpeye”.
• UKMPA : The Future? by Avald Wymark (Bristol)
• Obituaries: Alec Rollinson, John simpson, Len Sidgwick, Geoffrey Harrison, John Temple
• Retired Pilots meet up in Tampa, David Ingham (ex Trinity House Harwich), Robert Holden (ex Panama Canal), Donald Mercereau (ex Sandy Hook / New York)

January 2007 (288)

cONTENTS

• 119th UKMPA conference
• Retirement: Paul Haysom, Section committee member & Great Yarmouth pilot
• Piloting the Emma Maersk. Harwich haven pilot Andy Adams
• Belfast Self Employment
• Retirement: Dave Devey, Section committee member & Liverpool pilot
• Pilots wanted in Paris!

October 2006 (287)

Contents

• World Maritime Day 2006. pilots set the initiative
• E-navigation
• Y-tronic bluetooth AIS on test
• Maritime Navigation and Information Services (MarNIS)
• Book Review: Sea of Glory by Nathaniel Philbrick
• MV Karen Danielson : Collision with the Great Belt Bridge report
• Obituaries: John Oates, Michael Warren, Joseph Webber, Michael Field,

July 2006 (286)

Contents

• Automatic Mooring Systems
• Meester Pilot Where Are You? The grounding of the APL Panama
• Obituary Feature: Alfred Venn, The Last of the Bristol Channel Sailing Pilots
• Obituaries: Jeffrey Spall, Archie MacDonald,

April 2006 (285)

Contents

• AIS Update
• MV Stolt Aspiration / Tug Thorngarth Collision findings
• Mooring Bitts for Towage
• Obituary: John (Iain) Cambell Peterson
• Book Review: Bow Tug Operations with ASD Tugs by Henk Hensen

January 2006 (284)

Contents

• 118th Conference 2005
• Obituaries: Jim Callaghan (2), R F Youde, John (Mike) Leney,
• DVD Review: the BGreat Port of Bristol by Snowbow productions
• Nelson Funeral Reinactment

October 2005 (283)

Contents

• MV Stolt Tern grounding
• Eastern Mediterranean Yacht Rally 2005
• Gloucester pilot and cartoonist, George Woolard, retires
• Obituaries: Peter Byers, Mike Young, James Anderson
• Compulsory pilotage in the PSSA of Torres Straits
• Portable Pilotage Units (PPU)
• Book Review: Four Times a Scapegoat by Douglas Harvey
• Pilot Error?

July 2005 (282)

Contents

• Watchkeeper fatigue
• Pilotage Laws 1888: Commander Cawley
• MV Rocknes update
• Book Review: Cairn Line of Steamships 1876 - 2005 by Gilbert T Wallace
• Obituaries: Hein Mehrkens, Donald MacArthur, Ray Hooker, Clifford Lea, John Yarrow, Jim Callaghan,

April 2005 (281)

Contents:

• Martin Lee: The Last “Grand Mat” of the Amicale Internationale des Captianes au Long-Cours Cap Horniers (AICH)
• MV Karen Danielsen: VTS failure?
• AICH UK branch history: Martin Lee
• MV Fortius: Accident report
• Book Review: Mariner’s Launch by Ray Solley
• Obituary: James (Jim) Callaghan,

January 2005 (280)

Contents

• 117th UKMPA conference
• 11 days adrift in an open lifeboat: True story by Neil MacNeil
• EU Education Certification Training & Standards (ECTS) for Maritime Pilots project
• Obituaries: Gianfranco Gasperini, Joseph Duhig, Neil MacNeil

October 2004 (279)

Contents

• Pilotage History: Part 2
• MV Rockness Capsize
• IMO Resolution A960
• Master / Pilot Relationship: MV Astor
• Tide program review: Neptune Tide
• Liverpool Pilotage: WW2 update
• Obituaries: Donald Twells, John Halton,

July 2004 (278)

Contents

• Pilotage History Part 1
• TotalTide tidal program review
• London Pilots Pilot “Concorde”
• Liverpool Pilotage during World War 2
• Obituaries: Gerard Couch, Leslie Finch, Peter Holbrook,
• Liverpool Pilot Cutter: Charles Livingston erratum & update

April 2004 (277)

Contents

• Integrated Bridge Systems
• AIS & VTS
• Immersion & Hypothermia
• Book Review: Marine Pilot by John Foot
• Loss of the Liverpool Pilot Cutter : Charles Livingston
• Obituaries: Eric Jones, John Burgess MBE, Peter Johnson, Michael Belsey, Frederick Tapping

January-2004 (276)

Contents:

• 116th Conference 2003: Liverpool
• A visit to Poland
• PLA Bridge simulator
• AIS Update
• Liverpool veterans honoured & Battle of the Atalntic
• Obituaries: Eric Jones & John Stuart Burgess

October 2003 (275)

Contents:

• Piloting the FPSO “Bonga” on the Tyne
• Nature of Pilotage: Michael Grey, Lloyd’s List
• Incident reports: Jody Millennium & Tai Ping
• High Lift Rudder: Becker or Lumley?
• Obituaries: D. Mackenzie, T A Hood
• Video Review: Snowbow’s “Great Liners” Vol 21: Ships to New Zealand

WEATHER

Met Office Shipping Forecast www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/marine/shipping_forecast.html

NOAA UK Buoy Wind Data: www.ndbc.noaa.gov/maps/United_Kingdom.shtml

Synoptic Charts (Plus everything else you may need!): www.itadvice.co.uk/weatherjack/wx.htm

UK Live Wind Data & predictions: www.xcweather.co.uk/

REGULATORY BODIES

MCA: The UK’s Maritime & Coastguard Agency: www.mcga.gov.uk/c4mca/mcga-home

Department for Transport (DfT): www.dft.gov.uk/

MAIB: The UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch: www.maib.dft.gov.uk/home/index.cfm

IMO: www.imo.org/home.asp

UKHydrographic Office: www.ukho.gov.uk/

IALA: www.iala-aism.org/

NAVIGATION ETC

Roayal Institute of navigation : www.rin.org.uk/

VTS: www.worldvtsguide.org/

VTS Information: www.maritime-vts.co.uk

GENERAL INTEREST

Maritime Blog

An interesting and informative daily blog with news from around the world: gcaptain.com/maritime/blog/

Marine Link

A US site but updated daily with World Maritime news: www.marinelink.com/main/main.asp

Maritime Log

Contains maritime history bulletin board, blogs, articles but also up to date maritime press cuttings are uploaded on this site. A very useful searchable archive facility. post.queensu.ca/cgi-bin/listserv/wa

Tugs at war

DVD containing rare footage and interviews of tugs and crews and their vital but largely ignored role in WW2. Review coming soon: www.maydaytugsofwar.com/trailers/purchase.html