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- The latest issue: January 2010
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Articles
CRIMINALISATION OF THE MARITIME PILOT
By: François Laffoucrière.
In previous issues I have covered the alarming trend of criminalising seafarers and pilots and despite the protestations from IMO General Secretary Efthimios Mitropoulos, criminal prosecutions for maritime accidents, especially those involving pollution are on the increase. The following is a a paper on the issues relevant to pilots presented to IMPA by French pilot and Maritime lawyer, François Laffoucrière. Read the rest of this entry »
PEC & TRIPPING PILOTS: PROCEDURAL ADVICE
What is the status of a pilot when a trainee pilot or PEC trainee is undertaking the pilotage of a vessel?
The view of the UKMPA is that the pilot must have the “conduct” of the ship, although the Master retains command. Read the rest of this entry »
UKMPA MEET WITH DfT
On the 18th January, following an invitation from the DfT, the UKMPA had two meetings with Civil Servants and others to discuss the draft Marine Navigation Bill (DMNB). Read the rest of this entry »
The Bristol Channel Sailing Pilot “Skiffs”
In the October 2007 issue I ran a feature on the pilot gigs of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. That feature was based on information contained within a, long since out of print, book called “Azook” by Keith Harris who kindly permitted me to freely use his research for my article. In addition to the gigs, the waters of South West England were also frequented by another famous pilot craft, the Bristol Channel sailing skiff, or cutter as it now more commonly known as. Despite the ongoing massive popularity of this sailing design, the only authoritative book on the craft was written in the 1970’s by Peter Stuckey. The book was updated and re-published in 1999 but again has long since been out of print and used copies rarely appear and attract very high prices. At the time of writing there is one copy on the internet in the USA with an asking price of $216! In what was probably my best investment in recent years, I purchased a copy in 1999 when it was republished and Peter Stuckey has kindly granted me permission to use extracts from the book for this article. As an introduction, I cannot better Peter’s own which dedicates the book to: those brave men of the Bristol Channel who, with their stout boats, went seeking “downalong”
Read the rest of this entry »
Pilotage Standards: “Unrealistic & Unworkable”!!
As reported in the July issue, the DfT and MCA have effectively handed full control of pilot training and standards to the port run body : Port Skills & Safety (PSS). Read the rest of this entry »
Legal opinion: Piloting oversize vessels
PILOTING VESSELS OVER AN AUTHORISATION LIMIT.
Following the HA’s taking over rrsponsibility for aothorising pilots following the 1987 Pilotage Act, many districts retained the authorisation structure and wording from the Trinity House authorisations. Read the rest of this entry »
COSCO BUSAN: CRIMINALISATION OF PILOTS IS CONFIRMED!
In the April issue’s editorial I expressed concern over the fact that the pilot of the Cosco Busan, John cota, had been charged with and had pleaded guilty to causing pollution. Read the rest of this entry »
PILOT LADDERS: IMO NAV55
Technical & Training Committee Chairman Brian Wilson is representing the UKMPA for this IMO session where updating the existing pilot ladder requirements is on the agenda. There are currently three pieces of legislation covering pilot ladders, all slightly different and the aim is to amalgamate them into one. Read the rest of this entry »
ROCKNES UPDATE 2
Readers may recall that following the grounding and capsize of the MV Rocknes, near Bergen, in 2004, which tragically resulted in the deaths of 18 of the 29 on board, I wrote an article (October 2004 pages 8 &9) with an update in the July 2005 issue (page 10) which stated that the Norwegian Hydrographic Service (NHS) would not be prosecuted over failures to plot the rock, upon which the MV Rockness grounded, on the relevant chart. Read the rest of this entry »
Liverpool Pilots Retire. Another End of Era
Liverpool’s “Class of 1960”
May and June of this year saw the retirement of the last three serving pilots of the 1960 Liverpool intake of apprentices or “Boathands,” which was the legal, ‘Bye-Law’ term for trainee pilots. Read the rest of this entry »
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