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PILOT TRAINING COURSES
Nautical Colleges offering Pilotage Training
Features
IMMERSION AND HYPOTHERMIA
Although this is a very grim topic to feature in the magazine the reality is that as pilots we daily face the risk of immersion frequently in conditions of extreme cold. The following article has been written by retired Liverpool Pilot Don Twells who has been a senior instructor with the British Red Cross specialising in Immersion and Hypothermia. Don has sent this for publication because he feels that pilots and pilot boat crews should be aware of the latest information on the subject. As one who hasn’t attended a First Aid course for many years my own recollection of dealing with immersion and hypothermia is not only very hazy but also well out of date. The explanations and techniques, especially those learned following the Fastnet disaster, could well save a life should the “unthinkable” happen.
DROWNING
Some 500 deaths per year occur from drowning in England and Wales alone. Approximately 19% occur in the sea, 71% in inland waters and swimming pools and a further 10% drown in their own baths. Many of the victims are competent swimmers and die within 1 metre of safety. Among adults, alcohol is a contributory factor.
PHYSIOLOGY OF DROWNING
Sudden immersion in cold water causes a sharp intake of breath resulting in panic breathing and frequent submersion. This compounds the respiratory distress and the victim, having compromised their buoyancy, may begin to sink, at the same time swallowing (not inhaling) large volumes of water. Water does not enter the lungs, it is prevented from so doing by a combination of repeat swallowing and laryngeal spasm eventually resulting in hypoxia, loss of consciousness and ultimately death. Water usually only enters the lungs at the point of death when the larynx becomes relaxed.
TYPES OF DROWNING
Near Drowning – The casualty is rescued just before the point of death. Dry Drowning – As the drowning person sinks and unconsciousness deepens they continue to try and breathe thus water flows through the pharynx stimulating the reflex which triggers the larynx and epiglottis to close off and protect the trachea, diverting water into the stomach. Due to acute hypoxia the casualty will have died before water enters the lungs. Fresh Water Drowning – If a sufficient volume of water enters the lungs it will cause an interference with the process of external respiration by preventing the passage of gases between the alveoli and the pulmonary capillaries. Haemodilution is created by the rapid absorption of the water into the blood which in turn grossly distorts the pH value of the blood. This may result in cardiac arrest some 2-4 minutes after rescue. Salt Water Drowning – In these circumstances the opposite occurs. Salt water entering the lungs is more solute than blood; therefore water is drawn into the alveoli from the blood stream increasing the volume of fluid in the lungs. This increases the viscosity of the blood and more sluggish circulation eventually slows the heart rate to the point where cardiac arrest occurs. This can occur 8-10 minutes after rescue. Types of protective clothing should include a face piece to prevent salt water splashing on the lips. Secondary drowning – Should a drowning victim be successfully rescued and resuscitated they may appear to have fully recovered. However, if water has entered the body, this can cause irritation to the pulmonary lining of the lungs which in turn leads to a clear secretion filling the lungs. death can occur up to 72 hours later.
MAMMALIAN DIVING REFLEX
Another feature of some drowning mainly in the young is the mammalian diving reflex. This primitive and little understood reflex is activated in circumstances where the victim is suddenly plunged into very cold water face first. The most immediate effect is the almost total shutdown of the respiratory, circulatory and nervous systems to the point of suspended animation and apparent death. Victims have been known to make a complete recovery after 38 minutes submerged and 16 hours resuscitation. It must be understood that a casualty when first immersed in cold water will behave very oddly. They may refuse rescue and indicate that they are swimming to the USA etc. They often will swim away from a boat or other means of rescue.
FIRST AID TREATMENT FOR DROWNING
• Establish Airway.
• If required commence resuscitation.
• Never perform abdominal thrust. (This will transfer water from stomach to lungs)
• Check pulse twice in different places. (Particularly if hypothermia is present).
• Never apply direct heat to a hypothermic victim.
• If a thermal blanket or exposure bag is available, remove wet clothing and place casualty inside.
NEVER GIVE UP ON A DROWNING PERSON – resuscitation should be continued until hospitalisation.
IMMERSION AND DROWNING
Immersion injuries and drowning are medical conditions which can affect a person who, deliberately or accidentally, goes into the water. They account for most deaths in water and for many of those occurring after rescue. Immersion injuries are due to the physical characteristics of water and its effects on the human body. The important characteristics of water are density, thermal capacity and thermal conductivity. These three together govern how immersion affects our heart, circulation and metabolism. If we remove heat loss from the equation and put a man into a swimming pool containing water at body temperature 37.C he will neither gain nor lose heat. Before entering the water much of his 5 litres of blood volume will have collected in the veins in his legs due to gravity. The water’s density is approximately the same as that of the swimmer’s body. In water he is weightless and the hydrostatic effect of water around the legs pushes the blood pooled in his veins back into the trunk, especially, the heart. The more blood the heart contains, the greater the cardiac output. The relationship between heart volume and cardiac output provides the reason for laying people down who have fainted or are in shock. This drains the blood from the veins in the legs and back to the heart thus increasing cardiac output. The increase in the return of venous blood from the legs to the heart during immersion also causes the hydrostatic pressure in the heart chambers and major blood vessels to increase. Effectively there is now too much blood in the heart. On land about 1 litre of blood was not being used, it had collected in the legs. When the swimmer is in the water the blood returns to the heart. The heart senses this surplus and gets rid of it by the increase of urine production in the kidneys. This process continues until cardiac output and pressures in the circulation return to normal. If the swimmer remains in the water long enough to lose a large amount of urine, when removed from the water the total blood volume will be much lower than before immersion. On standing up blood will again pool in the legs. Suddenly blood volume in the heart will be drastically reduced. Blood pressure and cardiac output will be reduced and blood flow to the vital organs will also decrease. The effects of immersion are increased still more if the water is cold. Water conducts heat 25 times more efficiently than air and can hold 1000 times without proper insulation, is therefore very rapid. The body responds to heat loss by constricting blood vessels, diverting blood away from the limbs and back to the trunk. The constriction of veins in the limbs exaggerates the effect of immersion on limb venous blood return and hence cardiac output, blood pressure and urine production. Cold also causes restriction of the blood vessels which carry blood away from the heart. When these arteries are constricted the heart has to work harder to overcome the increased resistance to flow. As a result the heart needs a greater oxygen supply because it is doing more work. If the heart does not receive this oxygen it can fail or stop completely. This is why cardiac deaths and other heart problems are much more common in winter than in summer. Both immersion and cold reduce the amount of blood in the limbs particularly the legs and increase the volume in the trunk. When the casualty is rescued, blood pools in the legs and causes blood pressure and cardiac output to fall below normal. This is the reason why during the Fastnet Race a few years ago so many persons died. Some stayed with their damaged yachts and they survived. Those that went into the water died, in most cases the casualties were alive when the helicopter arrived. They were able to talk and assist the winchman to put the lifting harness on. However as soon as they were lifted clear of the water, blood drained back to their dangling legs. Casualties went into shock, dying before they could be hauled into the helicopter. Rescue Helicopters now use horizontal stretchers and lift all casualties from the water in a horizontal stretcher and keep them horizontal until hospitalisation. The lesson to be learned from this is that even after swimming for pleasure never come out of the water and start running around or playing games. Instead sit quietly and allow the blood volume to readjust. 30 minutes should be sufficient.
FIRST AID TREATMENT OF IMMERSION
Whether an immersion victim lives or dies more often than not depends upon the first aid given by his rescuers, rather than the intensive care he receives subsequently after hospitalisation. For this reason it is essential that all those who may be engaged in the rescue of such victims should be absolutely clear on the correct first aid treatment to administer. In recent years medical research has identified several factors which may result in death, either during immersion or just after rescue. An understanding of these may assist the doctor in the medical management of the post immersion patient. In practice: 1. Is the casualty breathing, and is there a pulse present in a large artery (Carotid)? If not, clear the airway and begin Resuscitation. 2. Having ensured that adequate ventilation and heart action are present, try to prevent further heat loss by the use of windproof garments or blankets wrapped around the casualty. 3. Lift the casualty from the water in a horizontal position and keep the casualty in a horizontal position at all times and transport to the nearest medical care. NOTE In all first aid we do not now check for a pulse at the pressure points. Circulation or not is determined by observing the skin colour of face and lips.
HYPOTHERMIA
Hypothermia is the condition when heat is lost from the body core. Normal body temperature is 37ºC. Hypothermia occurs when the body temperature falls to 35ºC. If the body core temperature falls below 26ºC. then recovery is most unlikely and death is probable. The ability of the body to resist cold depends on age, health, fitness and psyche. Alcohol, some drugs and illness will all reduce the resistance to hypothermia. It is worth remembering that unusual behaviour may be evident i.e. a hypothermic person may complain of being too hot and will begin removing clothing. This must be discouraged.
SYMPTOMS – MILD HYPOTHERMIA
37ºC to 36ºC – Normal shivering has begun.
36ºC to 35ºC – Cold sensation, goose pimples, unable to perform complex tasks with hands, shivering can be mild to severe, hands are numb.
MODERATE HYPOTHERMIA
35ºC to 34ºC – Shivering is intense, muscle unco-ordination becomes apparent, movements are slow and laboured, stumbling pace is evident, mild confusion. Test by making the casualty walk for 30ft in a straight line. If unable to do so the casualty is hypothermic.
34ºC to 32ºC – Violent shivering persists, difficulty with speech, sluggish thinking, amnesia appears, gross muscle movements sluggish, unable to use hands, stumbles frequently and signs of depression.
SEVERE HYPOTHERMIA
32ºC to 30ºC – Shivering stops, exposed skin turns blue or puffy, muscle coordination very poor, inability to walk, confusion, incoherent irrational behaviour, but may be able to maintain posture and appearance of awareness. 30ºC to 27ºC – Muscle rigidity, semiconscious state, stupor, loss of awareness of others, pulse and respiratory rate decreases, possible heart fibrillation. 27ºC to 25ºC – Unconscious, heart and respiration erratic, pulse may not be detected. 25ºC to 24ºC – pulmonary oedema, cardiac and respiratory failure, death. Death may occur long before this temperature is reached.
FIRST AID TREATMENT:
Hypothermia The basic principles of re-warming are to conserve heat that they already have and to replace the body fuel they are burning up to generate that heat. If a person is shivering they have the ability to re-warm themselves at a rate of 2ºC per hour.
Mild to moderate Hypothermia Heat loss must be reduced by additional layers of clothing, increased physical activity and removing the person away from the elements. It is essential to keep a hypothermic person hydrated and fuelled. Carbohydrates will quickly be released into the blood stream for a sudden heat surge. These are the best to use for a quick energy intake especially in mild cases. Food intake should include hot liquids, sugars, proteins and fats but only in mild cases. Alcohol and tobacco (Nicotine) are to be avoided. Some external methods of providing heat should be carried out Body to body warming in a thermal blanket or similar.
Severe Hypothermia Heat loss must be reduced. Use of thermal blankets, bivvy bags, sleeping bags must be encouraged. In such insulated conditions casualties can re-warm themselves more efficiently than external warming. Food and fluids should not be given if hospitalisation is close by. However where the casualty occurs in isolation warm sugar water may be given. Note that the function of the stomach will have shut down and therefore solids should not be administered. This warm sugar solution may be given every 15 minutes. This will be absorbed directly into the blood stream, thus providing internal heat for the casualty.
• DO NOT RUB THE EXTREMITIES. (This will increase circulation and move the cold blood from the extremities to the vital organs)
• DO NOT GIVE ALCOHOL.
• DO NOT TRY TO HEAT THE EXTREMITIES ARTIFICIALLY. (This will also increase circulation)
• DO NOT PLACE THE CASUALTY’S LIMBS IN CONTACT WITH THEIR BODY.
Don Twells
Donald F. Twells 1934 – 2004
Died 15th June 2004
Don was born on 21st March, 1934. He was educated at Prescott Grammar School and joined HMS Conway in September 1949 at the age of 15, where he was an excellent student and cross country runner. On leaving the ‘The Conway’ he sailed with Clan Line before joining the Liverpool Pilot Service in 1952 and served as an apprentice on the pilot vessels for 7 years. In 1959 Donald gained his 3rd Class Licence and became 1st Class in 1963. He worked as pilot until 1988, when the Government made changes to pilotage and he started a new job with the Mersey Docks & Harbour Co. in the VTS. During his time as a pilot he worked as a representative and as one of the small team organising social events.
Outside of pilotage, Donald will be particularly remembered for the 28 years work he did setting up and running the local Sea Scouts, where he passed on his knowledge of boat management and comradeship with enthusiasm and good humour. He became Assistant District Commissioner; was awarded a medal of merit for outstanding service and a silver acorn for especially distinguished service. Through his interest in first aid he became an expert on exposure recovery and hypothermia. Somehow, he also found time for his garden of which he was very proud, and which he opened to the public on occasions, and became the President of the local Horticultural Society.
Donald was a devoted family man and leaves behind his wife Norma and three sons. Donald will be truly missed and fondly remembered for the way in which he embraced life to the full.
Andy Malcolm,
Retired Liverpool Pilot
PILOTING FPSO BONGA
FPSO BONGA
One important aspect of pilotage work is the programming of vessels. In most ports the duty pilot routinely makes planning decisions for agents and it is all taken in the pilot’s stride as part of his duties but the responsibilities of this task are considerable and the repercussions of making a mistake are always at the back of a pilot’s mind when making critical decisions. Every once in a while the duty pilot receives a request to plan a passage for a vessel totally out of the ordinary and since such a passage will frequently involve a high media presence it is all the more important that things go right on the day. Last year the
Link to the original pdf illustrated article:
pilotmag.co.uk/userfiles/Pilotmag%20275%20(Oct%2003).pdf
Over the years, the River Tyne has been very much involved in the energy business. At first this meant of course coal, from this there arose a rapidly increasing coastal shipping trade in coal and similarly a short sea export trade. The River Tyne was destined to become a focus of shipping trade routes which in turn also led it to become a large shipbuilding and repair centre.
Coal reached a peak in the 1930s but all good things come to an end and in the 1950s, in the dying days of coal, miners from Harton Colliery were operating at coal-faces some seven miles out under the
The
During 2001, Tyne Pilots Ltd (TPL) were advised by AMEC Wallsend that a bare hull was being built in
The draft presented no problem, there being sufficient water right into the berth at all states of tide. However, with large, slow moving vessels or structures it is preferable to conduct an inward river transit with the aid of the flood tide. However, in common with many break-water ports, the
to bridles. It was also a requirement for the use of the boarding method, this being by way of a pilot ladder rigged over the transom and then by staircase. With a windage area in excess of some 75000sq.ft and a comparatively light draught then a wind speed of 10 to 15 knots from any direction was given as a maximum.
Towage requirement was for six tugs. The two sea tugs to take the ends with four additional tugs, one at each corner. It was advised that the two sea tugs would be required to be of a kind which would be suitably manoeuvrable for the bends of the river and of not less than 120 ton bollard pull. The shoulder and quarter tugs to be of roughly equal bollard pull but to aggregate to 200 ton to satisfy insurance requirements. As all tow lines would be secured from the main deck then the effective bollard pull of the tugs would be very much reduced from their rated pull. An additional two local tugs, Yarm Cross and Flying Spindrift would escort the vessel as an insurance against breakdowns. Air draught on the inward transit was not a problem and the arrival date was estimated to be August/September 2002.
TPL advised that there would be three pilots involved: One pilot on the Bonga with one each on the two sea-going tugs to act as second pilots to him. It is the convention on the
It was not until early 2002 that TPL heard again from the fitting-out yard to enquire about pilots being sent to the
It was therefore intimated to the fitting-out yard that such training would not be necessary. Having already paid tens of thousands to the Simulator, the yard were not best pleased. It appears that the Port, fired with enthusiasm by a company also charging tens of thousands to devise a risk management system to comply with the Port Marine Safety Code, had directed that a simulation exercise was required. Like Paul on the road to wherever it was, TPL pilots underwent an immediate change of heart upon realising that
simulation was going to be immensely more rewarding than actually doing the job itself. As it was not possible to determine which pilots might be involved in the actual job then all TPL pilots trained assiduously on as many days as could be arranged at the
simulator!! As Bonga proceeded towards the
Due to the obstructions overside of Bonga the berth had been furnished with two dolphins which meant that positioning would be fairly critical. Whilst the sea-going tugs held the vessel in position the inboard harbour tugs were released and utilised to ‘push up’. However, since all the moorings had to come from winches ahore the operation took an inordinate amount of time. It was not until 1330 that the sea-going tugs could be released, the harbour tugs being involved for some considerable time afterwards. The job was finally completed without incident and to the satisfaction of the owners and the yard.
Soon after arrival the appearance of Bonga began to change rapidly. The fitting out commenced with the placing of many prefabricated modules on board. The lifting was accomplished by Smit’s Taks Asian Hercules which I believe is their biggest selfpropelled floating crane. One of the lifts was her personal best at about 2,800 tons. There was a pilot on board the crane for all moves and lifting operations.
At time of writing the outward passage has already been provisionally planned and despite over 20,000 tons being placed on board she will be sailing with only 5.8 metre draught. Air draught has increased to 95 metres so there is no possibility of negotiating the overhead power cables which are situated at about one mile down-river from the berth and they will have to be removed. These conductors form part of the National Grid and though provision was made when they were erected for a temporary removal, such removal is subject to a one year notice period. Although at a height of just over 87 metres above Chart Datum at lowest point of the catenary these lines have presented many problems in the past for vessels and structures wishing to pass beneath them. On occasions, surveyors have been required to monitor the heights of the conductors during a transit owing to the fact that demand surges cause heating, expansion and consequent drooping of the catenaries. Additional to the straight-forward physical clearance there also needs to be an electrical clearance. Owing to the windage area having increased to over 118,000sq.ft. the maximum wind speed from any direction has now been set to 10 knots. Maximum swell height of 4 to 5ft is being maintained particularly as the landing provision offered is the same as that on arrival.
Tidal requirement is once again for neap tides with the vessel leaving the berth at two hours before high water.
Tug requirement remains the same as for the inward transit. It is understood however that SNEPCO (Shell Nigeria) have engaged a different towage company so it is not yet known which sea-going tugs may be chartered.
Once again TPL pilots have been assiduously simulating and it is expected that once again the media will announce that the simulator did the job ! JH Burn
Update from John H Burn:
Due to strong winds the departure for
2006:
The BONGA was successfully positioned in the Shell Bonga field off the Nigerian coast and is now fully operational. Full details of this facility can be found at the following link:
Piloting on the Tees
Piloting on the Tees.
As pilots we often find it difficult to describe to outsiders what exactly we do and how we do it. I therefore felt that the following “Viewpoint” article by Michael Grey from Lloyd’s List eloquently describes the day he spent on the Tees with pilot Geoff Taylor.
The article is reproduced by kind permission of Michael Grey. JCB
THE pilot lookout is perched on the lonely promontory of South Gare, which extends northwards into Tees Bay from the grassy dunes cloaking the coast down towards Redcar and beyond, where the lovely Cleveland Hills fall into the grey North Sea.
It is a place of spectacular contrasts. To the north there is a huge rain squall of Turneresque confusion cascading over the rooftops of Hartlepool. To the east there is every shade of grey, with the dark shape of an incoming ship hanging in the refraction which blends sea and sky and makes the horizon indistinguishable.
Half a dozen big deep-laden ships lie quiet in the anchorage, through which bright-painted chemical and gas carriers head towards the fairway, where the survey boat may be seen minutely charting the depths.
At the end of the channel the pilot boat urgently arcs towards its controlled collision with an outbound ship.
With a subdued murmuring of radio and telephone traffic, the duty pilot coordinates the watch, pilots dispersed around half a dozen ships, in and around the river, awaiting jobs, organising transport to ensure that masters are not kept waiting, relating to agents, the foyboatmen, to the port control, to the pilot boat and to the tugs.
A ship is brought forward a couple of hours, another drops back until the following day. A very big ship will need two pilots, another will have an additional pilot under training.
It is a dynamic picture, a puzzle that is constantly changing, with people and ships and berths and equipment and vehicles all requiring positioning at the right place at precisely the right time along both banks of a 16 km river, to the roadstead in Tees Bay and up into the Hartlepool.
Looking up the river, past the steelworks and bulk and ferry terminals and the vast Seal Sands refineries to the chemical complexes of the north bank, the view is oddly reassuring, with its belching chimneys, towering retorts and flare stacks the very antithesis of the post-industrial England in which too many of us believe, with its financial services and pale folk peering into screens or wired up in call centres.
Here on the Tees heavy industry still flourishes. Here we still make things out of ore and petroleum, coal and chemicals. This is an industrial port and proud of it and, although the industrialists dish out pretty brochures listing their considerable environmental achievements and the cleanliness of the river, they haven’t lost sight of the real reason for this great port’s existence.
Here is work and added value, all taking place around the clock, old-fashioned wealth creation that you can see and touch and smell, in a port largely created by the old steelmen whose slag wastes were used by the harbour commissioners to train the river and scour the channel and whose weed-covered relics can still be seen at low water.
Up the river, past the disused
Middlesbrough dock, the iconic
transporter bridge and the extraordinary Victorian lifting bridge, there is serious regeneration taking place.
Ten years ago, when the Tees barrage was being built, there was no shortage of those mocking the very idea of doing anything constructive with the industrial wastelands which stretched to Stockton with their polluted, industrial wreckage and blasted landscape.
Today, as salmon and sea trout leap below the barrage, the Tees has been transformed to high value land where executive homes, hi-tech industry and Durham University departments have been erected amid greenery and above the tideless lake created by the barrage, where a national and possibly even international water sports centre has been developed. I was on this river by courtesy of the Tees Bay pilots to experience, albeit briefly, what modern harbour piloting is all about. Piloting requires special qualities and it is perhaps worth examining these. Why are pilots taken? The traditional answer is for their skill in shiphandling in confined waters and for their knowledge of the local conditions.
These still apply, perhaps the more so as ships have got so much bigger and the safety envelopes around them have reduced with the dimensions and the depth under the keel.
But the demand for dispatch and speed through ports has also created new pressures, while huge reductions in crew size have made the pilot so much more essential, with masters not infrequently keeping watches, dog-tired and submerged with paperwork and procedures.
The pilot has thus become an essential resource on an almost empty bridge at a time when the greatest demands are put upon the thinly spread manpower.
A laden suezmax bound for Le Havre is the first “customer”, a Norwegian, lying bows out in a river berth, with a decent bow thruster helping the two tugs tow the ship off the berth.
The ship is smart and its crew exudes competence, and the manoeuvre to unmoor and haul off into the channel is uncomplicated. The tide is low and there is a brisk breeze whipping across the channel as the ship slowly makes its way down the channel, closed by the VTS to other shipping, while the tanker is proceeding to sea.
These are today’s deepsea creatures, 10-month tours of duty running from Australia to the Tees, ballast to Brazil for a cargo to China. “More days, more dollars,” we used to say, but these people earn theirs.
Variety is the spice of the Tees pilot’s life and, in contrast, the next ship we board is a laden bulk carrier of about 4,300 dwt with a cargo of slag sand bound for the London River.
The ship is moored head up river, with a gas tanker close astern on an adjacent berth and an awkward shoal patch just upriver. But the little ship has a Becker rudder and a good bow thruster, which makes it almost dynamically positioning, and the pilot turns it in little more than its own length, while the ship steers with the precision of a car and little wheel on the passage down river, the master alone on the bridge and doubtless appreciative of some assistance.
Pilots in this river, where the pilotage is relatively short, have to get used to these contrasts. The big ships require a degree of anticipation with a relatively long interval between a helm or engine order and anything actually starting to happen, in contrast to small ships which are markedly more responsive.
The pièce de resistance is a couple of hours later as we clamber aboard a big capesize at the Redcar ore terminal, which has half-discharged its iron ore cargo from Dampier and is making a short passage to Immingham.
The ship is new, all gleaming paint and clearly well-maintained, the crew smart in blue boiler suits, giving every impression that they know their business.
The tide is low, the ship head up and there will be four Svitzer tugs employed to swing it, as there will be little room for the 290 m long ship.
Swinging this gigantic ship is a study in co-ordination. A touch of the engines to keep the ship steady in the tide, the four tugs levering this great lump of steel around while the VTS shuts down other movements.
From the towering bridge of this monster the river and its navigable deep draught channel seem visibly to shrink. There is little water under the keel and the propeller throws up dark mud under the poop. The turn complete, there is a ponderous passage in slow motion to the end of the fairway, where the pilot boat is waiting.
Pilots, for all their independence, don’t work in isolation, and the Tees is an example of how the relationships in a port community can work well.
“If you keep talking about problems they don’t grow,” says the harbourmaster, and it is eminently clear that all those responsible for the movement and handling of ships in the port work well together, with a professional respect for the other person’s point of view, the prosperity of the port as a whole and the over-riding need for safety.
Michael Grey, Lloyd’s List
High – Lift rudder update
HIGH LIFT RUDDERS UPDATE
Following the July feature on rudders where I speculated as to the name of the British inventor of the articulated rudder, retired Great
So, I feel that in memory of this visionary, when confronted with a vessel with an articulated rudder we have a duty to inform the Master that he doesn’t have a “Becker” rudder but a “Lumley”!
Rights of EU citizens,Legal Opinion
LEGAL OPINION: The Pilotage (Recognition of Qualifications and Experience) Regulations 2003
Statutory Instrument 2003/1230 establishes a framework for the recognition of European pilots qualifications and experience by UK Competent Harbour Authorities (CHAs), by amendment of the Pilotage Act 1987.
A new schedule (A1) appears in the Pilotage Act which explains the procedure to be adopted by CHAs in determining whether an applicant for appointment as a
Qualified Applicants – Applicants’ rights, CHAs discretion
Section 2 applies where a CHA has determined a requirement for its pilots to have some formal qualification (for example a
Section ((2(2)) is uncontroversial and deals with the case where the applicant’s qualifications correspond to or exceed the required level. In these circumstances the CHA is prevented from refusing to authorise the applicant, (or refusing to consider his application) simply on the basis that he does not hold the required formal qualifications. Simply stated, and with the advent of STCW, somewhat obviously, a CHA has to recognise a Class 1 Certificate issued in any European country as being equivalent to the UK version.
The applicant may, however, still be refused authorisation by the relevant CHA if he fails to complete the required training programme, is unsuccessful in the examinations or is otherwise deemed by the CHA not to be suitably qualified to act as a pilot. Section 2(3) is rather more contentious, providing that where the applicant’s formal qualifications show a level of knowledge and skill substantially below the level required by the authority (say a Class 2 rather than a Class 1), the CHA is required to allow the applicant to undergo an adaptation period or an aptitude test to demonstrate that he has acquired the knowledge and skills which were lacking. The following points are of note:
_ The Schedule uses mandatory not discretionary
language (“shall” not “may”) granting the applicant a right to an adaptation period/test.
_ The Schedule does not specify a minimum or
maximum period for adaptation, and one must assume that it is for the CHA to determine under their statutory powers conferred by Section 3 of the Pilotage Act.
_ This Section’s reference to the applicant’s level of
knowledge and skill being “substantially” below that required by the authority implies that there is no minimum standard of qualification envisaged.
_ The Schedule only appears to require a CHA to
facilitate adaptation or a test. No doubt the CHAs will have noticed there is nothing in the Schedule, which imposes a requirement for them to pay for these facilities.
_ If the CHA fails to deal with an application
promptly (within four months), or do not make provision for an aptitude test or adaptation period, the applicant may appeal to the Secretary of State.
“Adaptation period”
In the context of the Schedule “adaptation period” means a period in which the applicant acts as a pilot under the supervision of an authorised pilot, in much the same way as trainee pilots have previously been trained.
“Aptitude tests”
An “aptitude test” means a test of the applicant’s professional knowledge to act as a pilot. Again, it would appear that the CHA retains the sole discretion as to whether an applicant has been successful in this test.
The individual applicant may elect whether he wishes to submit to a test or undergo an adaptation period.
Recognition of Experience
The Instrument makes provision for the recognition by a CHA of relevant experience in Pilotage gained in an
Presumably so as not to constrain the CHAs discretion, the section does not state in what capacity the applicant needs to have been working in order to gain the relevant experience, nor indeed does it define the phrase “working in Pilotage”. In practice it is likely that ‘relevant’ will mean just that, but the prospect remains of an applicant who has never worked as a pilot (but has worked in Pilotage) being able to challenge a CHAs decision not to offer authorisation.
What is not covered
A notable deficiency in the Statutory Instrument is that it only applies to nationals of European States other than the
Kevin Austin
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