Pilots – Professional Mariner

28 Jan

Gladding-Hearn delivers 11th launch to Delaware pilots

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsPilots, shipbuilding

(SOMERSET, Mass.) — The Pilots’ Association of the Bay and River Delaware has taken delivery of another pilot boat from Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corp. It’s the association’s fourth Chesapeake-class launch and 11th pilot boat built by the Somerset, Mass., shipyard since 1957. With a deep-V hull designed by Ray Hunt Design, the new all-aluminum launch Pennsylvania measures 53.6 feet overall,…

30 Dec

Safety alert: Identifying counterfeit pilot ladders

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsPilots, Safety alert, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — Marine inspectors from Sector Maryland-National Capital Region (NCR) discovered counterfeit pilot ladders during a port state control examination at the Port of Baltimore. The identification plate on the ladder (Figure 1) contained several errors, including referencing ISO 779-1 instead of the correct standard, ISO 799-1, and lacked the ISO 799-1 designation type. Additionally, while the serial number on…

16 Dec

Great Lakes pilotage costs to rise 7 percent in 2025

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsGreat Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, Pilots, Ports, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Coast Guard published a final rule Friday in the Federal Register outlining U.S. Great Lakes pilotage rates for the 2025 shipping season. The new rates seek to generate revenue for each of the three U.S. Great Lakes pilot associations by implementing hourly charges for pilotage services according to geographic area. Pilotage rates are paid by vessel…

02 Sep

Study to analyze feasibility, safety of remote pilotage

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsNavigation, Pilots, safety

(LONDON) — The International Maritime Pilots’ Association (IMPA), which represents over 50 member countries, is partnering with the Canadian National Center of Expertise on Maritime Pilotage (NCEMP) and the Canadian Coast Guard to explore remote pilotage to determine its feasibility, readiness and impacts on safe navigation practices and systems. The work aims to provide authoritative insights into the current and…

08 Aug

Proposal would raise Great Lakes pilotage rates 7 percent

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsGreat Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, Pilots, shipping

(WASHINGTON) — On Monday, the U.S. Coast Guard published a proposed rule in the Federal Register to increase the overall cost of U.S. Great Lakes pilotage in 2025 by $2.64 million, or 7 percent, compared to 2024. The new rates seek to generate revenue for each of the three U.S. Great Lakes pilot associations by implementing hourly charges for pilotage…

01 Jul

Charleston pilot honored for actions on runaway boxship

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsPilots, U.S. Coast Guard

(CHARLESTON, S.C.) — The U.S. Coast Guard on Wednesday presented the Meritorious Public Service Award to Christopher Thornton of the Charleston Branch Pilots Association for his commendable actions related to the uncontrolled acceleration of the containership MSC Michigan VII on June 5. Rear Adm. Douglas Schofield, commander, Coast Guard Seventh District, and Cmdr. Randy Preston, deputy commander, Coast Guard Sector…

10 Jun

PFD failure, safety system cited in death of mariner on pilot boat

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsPilots, TSB

(DARTMOUTH, Nova Scotia) — The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has released its investigation report of an incident where a crewmember on a pilot boat died after falling overboard near St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. On Sept. 26, 2022, during the hours of darkness, the pilot boat A.P.A. No. 18 set out with the master, a deck hand and…

09 Apr

Gladding-Hearn delivers refitted launch to Boston Pilots

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsPilots, shipbuilding

(SOMERSET, Mass.) — Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corp., has delivered the first of the Boston Pilots’ two Chesapeake-class pilot boats undergoing a comprehensive refit. “The vessels are well used and well maintained. Only minor structural repairs were necessary so definitely worthy of refitting,” said Peter Duclos, the shipyard’s co-president. Along with installing new shafts and Brunton propellers, the 53-foot all-aluminum pilot…

11 Mar

Grant equity, icebreakers top Great Lakes ports agenda

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsGreat Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, Pilots, Ports, shipping

(WASHINGTON) — At its winter meeting in Washington, D.C., last week, the American Great Lakes Ports Association (AGLPA) adopted the following policy agenda for 2024. AGLPA works to promote public policies that enhanced maritime commerce on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway System. Distribute of port infrastructure grants equitably The Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) is the primary source…

09 Feb

U.S. Great Lakes pilotage costs to rise 7 percent

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsGreat Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, Pilots, Ports, shipping

(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Coast Guard published a final rule Friday in the Federal Register outlining U.S. Great Lakes pilotage rates for the 2024 shipping season. The new rates seek to generate revenue for each of the three U.S. Great Lakes pilot associations by implementing hourly charges for pilotage services according to geographic area. Pilotage rates are paid by vessel…