New pilot boat from Montevideo undergoing rough weather test:
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Another pilot boat from Safehaven Marine:
Safehaven Marine are very pleased to have signed contracts with the Biscayne Bay Pilots in Miami, Florida to supply our Interceptor 48 pilot as their new all-weather pilot boat. We’re particularly excited that our 64th pilot boat built will also become our first pilot boat for the USA. Powered by Scania D13 engines their new vessel will be delivered in early 2025.
More Irish action:
I live close to the Columbia River entrance and get to see pilots and their boats at work from time to time. The Columbia River Bar Pilots are now using a helicopter for about 70% of their transfers, but still maintain two offshore Pilot Boats in support of their 3500+ annual piloted bar crossings. But the helo has allowed a major improvement in service and safety in rough weather.
Some of you deep water mariners might take issue with this quote, but it’s been said that, “the ocean is only hard at the edges”. Here’s a really well made short video (16 min) about the Columbia River Bar Pilots and how they get their job done at the hard edge. These guys have all been ship masters before becoming bar pilots. There’s some great footage in here of the “bad old days” when the pilot was rowed over in the transfer!! (on the Columbia, the bar pilot hands off to a river pilot who takes the ship the 100 odd river miles up to Portland).
https://www.pbs.org/video/oregon-field-guide-columbia-river-bar-pilots/