My son who has extensive tanker agency experience said oil companies typically have KPI requirements that are very strict. He also reminded me charter parties often have clauses on vessels service speed etc. Notably notice of readiness demurrage etc. Date & time can have a significant cost effect.
When I was a trade manager for a Scandinavian owner, liner service, had schedule responsibly. We put up the planned schedule year in advance. Monitored it during the year. Lots of reasons for changes weather, repairs and one vessel was slower than the others. We built in extra days to cover unexpected and take advantage outside of normal opportunities .
Trades relationship with the Master was very good, simple email with eta’s, advice of problems or request for changes. Often I would phone the vessel, after emailing to set the call time, to discuss possible deviations. Unusual best talked through, example had a couple request for walking medical evacuations from Pitcairn. “ Captain would you consider stopping at Pitcairn we have a request “ “ What’s the deviation & how would it affect Auckland arrival “. OK Will advise we agree, anything you need from the island in advance ? Thanks let me know when complete may get some press out of it if you think it worthwhile. His vessel his decision.
It helped nearly all our trade managers had nautical experience, a few had been masters of company vessels. Mine reflected all small boat, licensed civilian and CG. Basics the same, scope and size very different. I knew how to ask & don’t bother him with poor timing or crazy request.
There’s a 12 hour coastwise voyage and given 14 hrs to make it. From arrival pilot to start of cargo there’s usually about 30 minutes or so margin.
If the ship is 20 minutes late it’s possible the charterer will send a rep down to ask questions. Or even the Japanese CG might come down to the ship just for a wellness check.
I reread @244’s post. If that was indeed a bulker traveling at 24 kts, 185 tons per day would be low. I was thinking of the fuel consumption of a typical bulker.
I suppose it depends on the size of the Bulker.
I Envisioned a Cape Size romping around the Ocean at 24kts
If that were the case then I didn’t find the fuel consumption excessive. I know that some VLCCs I sailed on would consume over 300t per day at 15 kts and also the very fast Brooklyn class Maersk Container Ships would gulp 350t plus at 30+ kts and we’re considerably smaller than a Cape Size
SpaceX got a rocket ship to land on its ass on a floating barge. I think somebody could figure something out for pilot boats if they was a will and big $$$ to do the R&D.
better yet - lets just automate it all. - log into your autonomous pilot on arrival - link all the ship controls to them - all done on a screen in a control room ashore.
$50,000 Teenagers in trailers out in the desert playing ship docking video games with the assistance of AI - might replace all those $500,000 ship pilots.
I have been on a variety of ships sailing with a company with a diverse fleet and my comment on sleeve oil referred to my time as mate on a bulker.
The container vessel burning about 180 tonnes per day had 2 MAN 12 cylinder in line main engines each of about 26,000 kW. North bound it had 5 MaK M60 Diesel Generators for a reefer load of approximately 2400 containers.
“Boomers” can also adopt that simple strategy. Now come up with something original (extracted or derived from your experience) which indicates some modicum of an intelligent thought process.
We also need to get a little realistic about the perceived problems and dangers of Marine Pilot Transfers. I will use the Columbia River Bar PA as an example. This is a renowned dangerous stretch of water and in the last 17 years they have had one fatality and one in the water who was safely retrieved. Let us work on a daily throughput of 10 vessels/day with a 30/70% ladder/helicopter split. That represents a fatality rate of 0.000054% over 17 years. Compare that figure to your annual USA road toll ~40,000 souls or ~680,000 over 17 years. Further to that compare the above figure to other industrial arenas.
I worked at sea for 24 years and never witnessed a Pilot come off a ladder. I then worked as a Pilot for 22 years in a very difficult stretch of water. We had no Pilot fatalities and we had no Pilot fall into the water. We did have the occasional strained muscle.
How many professionals on these boards have witnessed a Pilot fatality or dunking?
Brah, if the status quo is good enough for you, then keep on keeping on! I’m not a pilot, thus got no skin in this game.
Your brought up the old idea that was discussed in another thread, not me. And it’s just an idea, one of many that would be brainstormed in the process of innovating. I never said the idea would work, but you are super fast to say all ideas WON’T work.
You are not an innovator, which is fine. No need to be disgruntled. You had a successful career doing what you were trained to do, with an excellent safety record. But, you would’ve boarding sailing ships to pilot if it weren’t for innovators that ignored naysayers like you.
