Editorial

Editorial: John Clandillon-Baker

MarNIS & POADSS Maarten Betlem

Pension News Debbie Marten

Technical & Training Brian Wilson

Dead Slow Ahead JCB

• UNIT

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EPILOTS ASSO

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JANUARY 2009 No.296The official organ of the United Kingdom Maritime Pilots’Association

DIVIDE D W E FALL

UNITE

DWESTAND

In This Issue

As I compile this issue the world is rightlyhailing pilot Sullenberger of US Airlines ahero for his skill in landing his crippledairliner on the Hudson River. At the sametime the maritime headlines detail thecriminal conviction of Captain Chawlaand Chief Officer Chetan from the VLCCHebei Spirit. The Hebei Spirit was atanchor whilst a crane barge was beingtowed along the South Korean coast.When the tow parted the barge drifteddown onto the Hebei Spirit and despitevaliant attempts to avoid a collision bypaying out the anchor cable, a collisionoccurred which caused Korea’s worstpollution incident and the immediateresponse was to arrest the Captain andcrew. I am in no doubt that had theaccident on the Hudson involved a shiprather than a plane, the pilot would havebeen arrested and the media focus wouldhave been on trying to find someone toblame rather than seeking a story ofheroism regarding the pilot who may havedisplayed equal skill levels to those of pilotSullenberger.

In the maritime world there is no longerany such thing as an “accident” and theCosco Busan accident has highlighted thissince, despite having retired, the pilot. JohnCota is still facing criminal prosecution.But is he really a criminal? Entering into adense fog bank and having lost confidencein the radar, John Cota turned to the ship’selectronic chart whose operation wasunfamiliar to him. A misinterpretation ofthe chart display resulted in the accidentand subsequent pollution for which he isnow being held liable.

It is highly probable that had John Cotahad his own electronic chart and beentrained in its use, this accident wouldn’thave happened and one outcome of histrial will probably be a recommendationthat all US pilots carry a Portable PilotageUnit (PPU).

This quarter’s feature on POADSSreveals how technology can support a pilotand the question is no longer, do pilotsreally need a PPU but how much longercan pilots continue to conduct passagesbased on hand written, non dynamic,plans?

John Clandillon-Baker FNI

MarNIS & POADSS

Ship to Ship Transfers (1970s) Ewan Ramsay

UK’s Largest Gas Import by Ship John Gurton

Merchant Navy Medal AwardsObituariesLiverpool Pilots to run Maritime ResourceManagement Courses Matt Easton & Nev Dring

As you will be aware, the UKMPA have been involved in the European MaritimeNavigation Information Services (MarNIS) project for four years and EMPA have beenthe project leaders for the development of the Portable Operational Approach andDecision Support System (POADSS) which developed from the Innovative Portable PilotAssistant (IPPA) project which ran from 2000 – 2003.

Our “front man” on the POADSS project has been Southampton pilot, Nigel Allenwho, along with other pilots from within EMPA, has achieved the rare distinction ofproducing a fully working unit on time and on budget. The project culminated in asuccessful live demonstration in Lisbon last October and the future now rests with howthe manufacturers wish to develop the concept to the requirements of individual pilotsand ports. POADSS is a highly sophisticated aid which incorporates the latest technologyand although we all know it will never happen it actually has the potential to transfer thewhole VTS to the pilot on the bridge. At its current state of development it is somewhathampered by the necessity to have much of the hardware in a separate Interface Unit (IU)but since this unit has already been downsized within 12 months from a tea trolley (seeissue 291 October 2007) it is probably only a matter of time before all the necessarycomponents can be included in a single display unit. Nigel must be congratulated for hisunflagging enthusiasm and dedication and Maarten Betlem and the Lisbon pilots alsodeserve a special mention for successfully concluding a complex project which has been acredit to the professionalism of pilots.

The following article details the key elements of POADSS and has been edited from thedetailed final report produced by Dutch pilot, Maarten Betlem.

Southampton pilot Nigel Allen (left) trialling a prototypes POADSS unitPhoto: N Allen’s collection

January 2009 2 The Pilot

POADSS within theMarNIS ProjectThe work on POADSS was undertaken aspart of the MarNIS project under WorkPackage 4.2 (Port’s safety andinfrastructural info on board vessels)

The other Work Package 4.1 in thisCluster was “Modern Vessel TrafficManagement” and during the projectintensive consultation took place betweenthe two Work Packages to achieve the mostbeneficial results for both parties.

The MarNIS project is also linked toother European maritime research projectssuch as WATERMAN and EMBARC.

Initially the acronym POADSS stood forPortable Operational Approach andDocking Support Systembut Docking wassubsequently changed toDecision, to betterreflect the project’saims.

The POADSS unit consists of three mainelements, two onboard units and the ashoreunit. One onboard unit is an InstrumentUnit (IU) and the other is a laptop fordisplaying the available information andfor receiving and transmitting data to andfrom the shore based unit by means ofmobile broadband. Ashore this informationexchange is organized by the POADSSGround Server Station which sources datafrom VTS, tide / swell gauges etc. Thus,together with its own stored data, anindependent comprehensive overview ofship’s static and dynamic information data,as well the surrounding traffic image andenvironmental conditions results in acomprehensive overview of all relevantparameters of the particular ship on herpassage.

What will it do?Most pilotage units monitor the vessels

horizontal position (2D), whilst the

POADSS also monitors the vertical position(3D) and all dynamic motions.

In summary, there are 4 main newapplications:• Integration of an Inertial Measurement

Unit (IMU) with Global NavigationSatellite Systems (GNSS) to accuratelydetermine all dynamic movements of thevessel

• Wireless broadband to exchangeinformation in real time (Web MapServices)

• Dynamic high density bathymetric datadisplayed on an electronic chart (enablesa true dynamic safety contour)

• Dynamic Under Keel Clearance (DUKC)software

The POADSS is intended to improvenavigational safety and efficiency, reducevoice radio communications, accessrelevant information to maximise theusability of fairways and thus enhance theefficiency of the overall traffic flow.

POADSS has incorporated as muchavailable ‘off the shelf’ hardware andsoftware as possible in order to facilitatedata exchange with the shore server. (pic 1)

The Shore Server Station provides thefollowing support:• VTM Stakeholders;• Dynamic Passage Planning and resource

management • Information inputs to support Dynamic

Passage planning• Data logging.

Interoperability with the VTMS centre isa key element and by using Web MapServices (WMS) the overall VTS trafficimage can be overlaid on the POADSSElectronic Navigation Chart (ENC).

WMS can also provide real timemeteorological and hydrographicalconditions along with temporarynavigation notices

If the broadband connection is lost AISinformation remains available via thevessel’s Pilot Plug Connection.

The Dynamic Under Keel Clearance(DUKC©) module is divided into twoelements: predicted and actual. Thepredicted DUKC, is computed for each shipand passage prior to the passage and storedon the shore server and can be accessed atany time during the passage. The actualDUKC is established with cm accuracy bythe POADSS Instrument Unit (IU)using thelatest position, heading, speed, heave, roll(heel) and pitch (trim) and displayed on thelaptop. Crucial for an accurate DUKC isthe exact determination of the onboardposition of the POADSS IU in relation tothe ship’s dimensions, as well as, the shipsstability data and the centre of gravity.

The predicted DUKC and the actualUKC are presented in graphical diagrams(Pic 2)and comparison of both values willconfirm that the actual UKC is within anacceptable safety limit to the predictedDUKC. In practice the real time UKC isalways greater than the predicted UKCbecause the latter is based on increasedparameters to ensure safety.

Functional requirementsThe ENC is the most important part of

the display since the information must beaccurate and not mask other essentialinformation. However operating thePOADSS mustn’t distract attention awayfrom the essential task of overall safenavigation and therefore training is of

Pic 1. The POADSS configuration

The Pilot 3 January 2009

fundamental importance. The POADSSsoftware has therefore been developed to be‘Port specific’ which results in it being mucheasier to use whilst piloting.

Special consideration must also be givento integrating POADSS into the BridgeResource Management structure in order toreduce the chance of single person error.

System components The existing two POADSS units contain

the following modules:The Instrument Unit (IU)• Integrated Global Navigational Satellite

Systems (GNSS) / Inertial MeasurementUnit (IMU) component;

• Satellite Antenna;• RTK Antenna;• AIS Unit;• Electronic Motherboard;• Internal Communication to the User

Interface Unit;• Battery Pack.

User Interface Unit (Laptop)• Windows XP;• Dedicated Electronic Navigation Chart

System/ ECDIS kernel;• External Communication by means of

Mobile Broadband to the POADSSShore Server;

• Internal Communication to InstrumentUnit by means of a Local AreaNetwork. (WiFi);

• Dedicated POADSS softwareapplication, divided in:•• Information Mode;•• Planning Mode;•• Navigation Mode;•• Docking Mode.

The POADSS Shore Server (PSS) contains• Server • Network Switch;• Tide data Server;• DUKC Server;• VTS – WMS Server;

The increasing use of Portable PilotageUnits (PPU’s) worldwide has resulted in agrowing need for such units to be operatedwithin a legislative framework. Achievingthis will require close co-operation withinternational organisations such as theIMO and IEEC and this will be animportant aspect of the implementation ofthe POADSS. Likewise, the POADSS Serverstation will need to conform to agreedstandards in order to ensure the provision

of quality assured information. Since this project began, there have been

rapid advances in the technology availablefor stand alone PPU’s carried by pilots andmany systems are already capable ofaccessing much VTS and hydrographicinformation without the separate IU box.

However, although the matter of PPUshas been raised in IMO NAV and STCWmeetings, the IMO has not issued anydefinitive guidelines or regulations on whatconstitutes a PPU or how they should beused by Pilots. Currently the only formalrequirement is that there must be an AIS“Pilot Plug” installed on the bridge of aship that can be used by a Pilot with a PPU.

State of the ArtSince this project began, there have been

rapid advances in the technology availablefor stand alone PPU’s carried by pilots andmany systems are already capable ofaccessing much VTS and hydrographicinformation without the separate IU box.

However, although the matter of PPUshas been raised in IMO NAV and STCWmeetings, the IMO has not issued anydefinitive guidelines or regulations on whatconstitutes a PPU or how they should beused by Pilots. Currently the only formalrequirement is that there must be an AIS“Pilot Plug” installed on the bridge of aship that can be used by a Pilot with a PPU.

Consultation with pilotsThe POADSS project involved consulting

with pilots currently using PPU’s whichproduced the following findings:■ Most pilots prefer screen displays thatare very simple and pragmatic. In general,little extraneous information is shownother than what is needed for the currentsituation or task-at-hand. For this reasonthe interest in having radar imagery or VTSinformation superimposed on the chart

display is very port specific. However, somepilots (particularly river pilots) wanted topredict points for meeting or overtakingother ships. The AIS is crucial for thispredictor facility.The display chosen by thepilot may be basic but the software allowsthe pilot to choose what to show and whatto hide. Pic 3

■ Transit times varied within the surveygroup from 45 minutes to 13 hours. Fromarrival on the bridge the PPU is usually upand running within 2 - 3 minutes but if apilot has to set up his own DGPS this mightadd another 2-3 minutes. The GPS antennais normally clamped onto the railing on thebridge wing and if there are two antennaethey are usually placed in a fore and aftfashion, and spaced one to four metersapart. This arrangement and distance areset into the software. If a specializeddocking system is deployed, this might takeup to 15 minutes to set up but in such casestwo pilots are usually employed and onesets the equipment up while the other goesto the bridge.

■ Few pilots currently use radar integrationbut in Rotterdam VTS radar information isintegrated in the PPU due to the largenumber of barges not fitted with AIStransponders.

■ Currently, relatively little VTS-relatedinformation is displayed on PPU’s. anddigital VTS services are not widelyavailable. This may change with the widerintroduction of long range mobilebroadband services such as Hyperlan orWimax in the future.

■ Precise docking systems are widely usedin Europe and Australia but far less so inNorth America. These systems are relativ-ely expensive (about €50,000) and requirethat the chart data be large scale and highlyaccurate (+/- 1 meter or better). Pic 4

■ Some pilots specifically mentioned thatan important advantage of using PPUs wasvideo playback. Specifically, video playbackof a pilot’s recorded voyage data can beuseful for reviewing a passage, analysing anincident to establish “lessons learned” andfor training.

■ Some pilotage organizations taketraining very seriously while others less so.

Pic 2: The DUKC can be displayed as an overlay feature

Pic 3: Highly detailed information canbe displayed if required

Pic 4: Docking systems requireenhanced features

January 2009 4 The Pilot

All believe that a minimum level of hands-on training should be a prerequisite forcarrying a PPU but there are differingopinions on how much and who shouldconduct it (e.g., a manufacturer orexperienced pilots).

■ Some pilots expressed their opinion thatif mandatory PPU use is implemented thereneeds to be an agreed system of assessmentand that there should be an approvedstandard operating procedure.

■ The master must give permission to usethe POADSS, in particular if it is using anyships systems such as AIS.

■ Civil liability is mostly excluded for themaritime pilot, with the exemption ofnegligence or flagrant fault. With a normalproper functioning POADSS, the legalposition of the pilot isn’t changed withrespect to his position without the use ofthe POADSS.

■ The responsibility of the pilot is to use allsources of information available to safelyconduct the vessel.

■ VTS and other organisations are inprinciple responsible for the content of thedata and liable if the content proves to beincorrect. It doesn’t make any differencewhether this information comes via theships sensors (ie VHF) or via the POADSS.

Survey ConclusionEach pilotage organization had

significantly different requirements for aPPU and consequently there is no single“fits all” solution. However, each pilotgroup had a good understanding of whatare their specific requirements were and theoverall requirements for PODSS wereconsidered to be that it should:

• Be developed for vessels whosedimensions reach the limits of a fairway;

• Supply three dimensional positioninformation of the vessel.

• Should be capable of undertakingDynamic Passage Planning (DPP)including prediction of Dynamic UnderKeel Clearance and display of the actualUKC.

• Monitor and assess the availableposition accuracy

• By using the POADSS in conjunctionwith Dynamic Passage Plan themaximum draft could be considerablyincreased and tidal windows widenedwithout compromising the safety of thevessel or the safety and efficiency ofother traffic.

POADSS can provide all of theaforementioned requirements and thereforethe commercial benefits of POADSS to theshipping industry are potentiallyconsiderable.

POADSS Conclusions1. The development and demonstrationof the POADSS have been successful andthe majority of the determined objectiveshave been met.2. The assembly of the POADSSInstrument Unit requires more research tocome to an optimum. Off the shelf unitsare currently not designed for a portableunit which makes them cumbersome aswell to expensive.3. The development of Fibre OpticGyro’s and Micro Electronic MotionSensors (MEMS) is advanced and it isexpected that within the next five yearsMEMS will be available with the requiredaccuracy, reliability, dimensions, weightand cost for use in the POADSS.4. Currently positioning and calibratingthe POADSS correctly onboard iscomplicated.5. The development of the POASDSS hasresulted in the maximum of applications,which can be included within a PPU.6. Resulting from the above theinstallation of a permanent 3D GNSS/IMUon board should be considered. Howeverthe cost/benefit of the installation needs tobe clarified to the ship owner/operator. 7. The use of Web Map Services inLisbon was very successful. Thepresentation of additional data in the form

of graphical layers on top of the ENC isconsidered as the most efficient way ofpresenting this kind of information.8. The application of Dynamic UnderKeel Clearance was also very positivelyreceived during the demonstration inLisbon. The presentation of the computedDUKC ashore with the actual UKCsimultaneously on the POADSS laptop isseen as a major step forward for navigatingin shallow waters.9. All the information/data exchangedepends on a reliable wireless broadbandlink. In Lisbon a commercial broadbandlink was used which proved to be verygood but not perfect. The coveragedepends on the number of users and thecapacity of the accessible relay stations. Itis anticipated that Wimax will beimplemented in the next few years, butHarbour Authorities and pilots may needto come to special arrangements with theproviders or a dedicated Wimax networkcan be installed. A satellite connection isconsidered as being too expensive forPOADSS applications.10. With the development of E-Navigationthere is a good opportunity to integrate thePOADSS into Integrated Bridge Systemsand to install some components of thePOADSS onboard. This could possiblyresult in a dedicated pilotage consolewithin the integrated bridge layout.

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The Pilot 5 January 2009

PENSIONS NEWSHappy New Year to you all. I am sure2009 will present a challenge to us all.

The Secretariat

I am pleased to report that there have beenno changes within the Secretariat andLoretta is fast approaching her first fullyear with the PNPF.

Alternate Trustees

The last quarter of 2008 saw theresignation of Peter McArthur, aManchester pilot, as an Alternate Trusteeof the PNPF. To date no member has puthimself forward to fill the vacancy.

Benefit Statements 2008

We are currently in the process ofobtaining and confirming year endearnings for active members and should bein a position to send out benefit statementsby the end of February.

2009 Pension Increases andCalendars

Just before Christmas all pensioners andwidows were sent letters confirming thepercentage increase they would bereceiving from 1 January 2008, as well as acalendar for the year. If you have notreceived yours please let us know at theSecretariat and we will put another in thepost.

Rule Changes

During the course of 2008 the Trusteesmade four changes to the PNPF Rules,which are summarised below:

Rule 11(2) – “A” Members.The Trustees have adopted an upper age

limit of 55 for new joiners.

Rule 18(6)(7)(8)(9) – Basic Meaning ofPensionable Service.

The Trustees have introduced part-timemembership of the PNPF for employedpilots (new Rule 18(6)&(7)) and self-employed pilots (new Rule 18(8)&(9)).This Rule also details the adjustments thatwill be made when calculating the benefitsto reflect the part-time membership.

Rule 44(4) – Transfers.The Trustees have agreed to give

members the option of transferring outtheir additional voluntary contributions toanother registered pension arrangement.

Rule 49(4) – Pension Sharing.The Trustees have amended this rule

which now allows ex spouses to retain aPension Credit in the PNPF.

The Rules are due to be reprinted shortlyand an amended version will be sent out toall active members in due course.

Member Communications

I, like all of you, attempt to do my best tobe environmentally friendly and so I mustapologise for the number of trees that havebeen felled during 2008 to provide themember communications you have beeninundated with in respect of the legalproceedings. I cannot see this changing in2009 as we must be seen by the court asendeavouring to keep all concernedappraised of the situation.

Fund’s Solicitor

Last year I advised you of Andrew White’sretirement and the appointment of our newsolicitor at Mayer Brown. The Trusteeshave decided to amalgamate the litigationand day to day legal admin under one roofand Claire Southern at Lovells is now theFund’s solicitor.

Pre Budget Report (PBR)

In his November Pre Budget Report thechancellor announced a number of changesto savings, pensions and taxation to beimplemented over the next three years.

The main pension related announcementswere:-

State pensioners entitled to the Christmasbonus will be paid £60 in the new year,which equates to bringing forward theApril increase to the state pension toJanuary.

The level of the full basic state pension willrise in line with prices by £4.55 per weekto £95.25 per week in April 2009.

In April 2009 the age related tax allowancewill be raised in line with prices to £9490for 65 – 74 year olds and £9640 for peopleage 75 and over. The government hasestimated that by April 2010 only 40% ofpensioners over the age of 65 will bepaying income tax.

The lifetime allowance and annualallowance will be frozen from 2011/12 to2015/16 at the 2011/12 values of £1.8mand £255,000 respectively.

The government will be launching acampaign to get an estimated 1.5mindividuals on low incomes, particularlypensioners, to register to receive interest ontheir bank or building society accounts taxfree and to claim back any overpaid tax.

High earners get dealt a blow in the PBR inthat from 2010/11 the basic personalallowance for income tax will be reducedfor gross incomes above £100,000 peryear. Those earning at least £100,000 peryear would see their personal allowancereduced by at least 50% and no personalallowance would be available for incomesof £140,000 or more per year.

From 2011/12 the rate of income tax onearnings above £150,000 will be 45%.

Negative Retail Price Index(RPI) Inflation

The government’s economic estimate forSeptember 2009 is that inflation, asmeasured by the Retail Price Index, will benegative. The basic state pension isincreased by the September RPI or 2.5%,whichever is greater. This means that in2010/11 there will be an even larger realterms benefit for state pensioners. So itsnot all doom and gloom!

Debbie MartenDebbie@pnpf.co.uk

RetirementsJuly 2008 to October 2008

J Harrigan Aberdeen August

DL Holgate Tees October

J O’Brien Forth October

EM Swallow Teignmouth July

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Tel: 0141 249 9914 • Email via website:www.circleins.com/ukmpa

Full policy details for all theinsurances can be viewed on both

Circle and UKPMA websites

January 2009 6 The Pilot

Technical& TrainingThe Technical & Training committee metin November and this was the last meetingthat Gareth Rees (Southampton) chairedbefore stepping down as chairman. Iwould like to place on record thededication and skills that Gareth hasshown and given to this committee formore than 10 years, (4 as chairman) and Ihope I can match his input. Havingworked closely with him over the last 4years and having seen at first hand hishard work and dedication to the UKMPAT&TC wing, he will be a hard act tofollow!

During his time on the committee he hasfronted many projects the biggest was hisinvolvement in the ETCS / EMPA project

which he ended up chairing for the final 2years. ETCS is an excellent document andit is unfortunate that it is gathering duston the shelves of EMSA. If ETCS did onething, it addressed the required IMO A960pilot training standards in Europe, and theshortfall in future pilots. ETCS iscomplete, ready to be implemented, andup to IMO A960 requirements. When theDfT finally lose faith in the ability of theports industry to deliver an approved pilottraining program in the UK, which theyhave failed to do for over 10 years, we theUKMPA have one to give them. It could beup and running by January 2010, all theDfT have to do is ask us. We are theexperts! “Pilots training Pilots”

Gareth will be staying on as a co-optedmember of the T&TC working on theAZIPILOT project for the next 3 yearsand will assist if and when there is anyviable movement in the Pilot trainingstalemate.

Over the last number of years the

T&TC have moved into various high levelprojects both within the UK and Europewhich have and will generate income forthe association. Gradually we are gainingthe confidence of important bodies. Aspilots we all have a vast wealth ofexperience and knowledge. In today’sworld experience and knowledge cost andat last we are receiving remuneration butmore importantly recognition for our hardwork.

There is an increasing problem in thatwhen the T&TC attend meetings we areviewed as a union and not a professionalbody. I have nothing against UNITE andin fact I for one will record my thanks tothe T&G (as they were then) for theirassistance to the Belfast pilots in gainingself-employment, some 2 years ago. Whata difference 2 years has made, for me, myfamily, colleagues and also the port. I willalways retain my union membership it isthat important, but I believe theassociation must move forward and lookat becoming an institution or professionalbody. The doctors, financiers etc all havetheir professional institutes which governthemselves. Should we not also be going inthe direction of self managing ourprofession? “The Chartered Institute ofMarine Pilots” – perhaps?

To all pilots, I ask you to promote yourimportance and believe in yourselves. Youwork for the ship owner and regardless ofwho remunerates you for your service; theship owner foots the bill. We owe it tothem to be the best, they are our customer.As pilots you are probably the mostimportant member of their bridge teamand no one should strip you of that dignityor position!

Notable agenda items discussed inNovember 2008:

MarNIS is finished and a big thank you toNigel Allen for the efforts he has put intothe project. He has a separate article in thepipeline which will explain the outcomeand future for us, but his work I believewill take piloting to a new height both inefficiency and safety.

A889 SOLAS V – Nick Cutmore fromIMPA addressed the meeting and therewas a major discussion on pilot transferarrangements. This culminated in acircular survey for views on changesneeded. There was a reasonable responseto the survey and this has allowed us tosubmit to NAV 55 through the MCA theviews of the UKMPA pilots. It is worthnoting that we had the sole right to submitfor the UK. The response has been goodand it looks like our submissions will beused as the backbone for any changes.This subject will be a hot topic until the

The Pilot 7 January 2009

Dead Slow Ahead!Further to reports of high Dead Slow Ahead speeds here is one daunting copy of a pilotcord received from IMPA. The DSA on this 2007 built, 246.80 LOA ship is 12.5 Kts inballast! One aspect to note is that in the comments box below it does state that theminimum RPM is 28 which is less than the DSA RPM but would probably still result ina speed of 8 – 9 kts which is the maximum safe speed for tug handling. It is also worthnoting the maximum number of consecutive strts is only 6!There is an increasing trend forthese container ships to be designed with high DSA speed but this may not be theminimum speed that the vessel can run at. I have come across several ships with high DSAspeeds and when advising the Master that we would need to stop the engine in order toreduce speed to make tugs fast he has advised me of the possibility of having a minimumspeed. So without any consultation, the naval architects have introduced a new speed,which of course doesn’t have a designated slot on the engine telegraph and we pilots areobviously expected to be clairvoyant and know that the DSA may no longer be the slowestspeed available. So, during the MPEX process, pilots should now check with the Captainwhether the DSA speed declared is actually the minimum speed available. All veryconfusing but it is an extremely important factor to be aware of prior to manoeuvring thevessel. Of course if starting from stopped, the engine will run up to the designated DSArevs prior to the Master bringing them back to minimum and this obviously has seriousimplications manoeuvring alongside, especially if mooring lines have already been passedto the shore. A serious accident as a result of such design speeds is almost inevitable.

JCB

IMO meeting in July 2009.I would ask any pilot who comes across

a ladder which he is concerned with or anynew type of ladder or ladder part to take aphoto of it and forward to myself.Photographic references are very handywhen talking with persons not 100%familiar with pilot ladders. I am reallyshort of combination ladder picturesincluding the hatch type ones and the newbreed of real ladders.

Pilot coats – SeaSafe have been developinga spray hood for back fitting to their coats.Jeremy Dale assures me that a new designprototype has now been tested and will beavailable for retro fits and new coats fromearly spring 2009.

There were discussions regarding thedead weight of the coats if the bottle doesnot fire. Jeremy again has confirmed that itis acceptable to slightly inflate thelifejacket by mouth, to counteract theweight of the coat. Regardless of this ifyou fall from a great height you will gounder, probably 1-1.5 meters as your bodydecelerates.

One last point and a very important one– back packs and shoulder bags willimpair the lifejacket operation should youfall in. It might even break your ribs, causeyou breathing problems or worse. Pleasestop wearing them when climbing ladders,use a heaving line. One further plea - thereare many bad media shots and videofootage of pilots, climbing ladders withback packs, climbing with your coatsopen, ladders trapped etc. If you areinvolved in filming, think safety and tryand look professional before the camerastarts to roll.

Pilotboat seats – The RNLI haveintroduced a new seat for their all weatherboats which is available for purchase.They are quite expensive but a lot cheaperthan a broken spine or back whichoccurred to a Cork pilot recently whentheir pilot boat fell of a wave. It isestimated that he will be off work for 1-2years!

National Occupational Standards – verylittle movement here except that afterclosing nearly 18 months ago as Port Skills& Safety Limited (PSSL) they havereappeared under the new brand name ofPort Skills and Safety (PSS) and havemoved from Africa house to Carthusiancourt London. It is hard to keep a straightface after an 18 month re branding whichresults in the removal of the “L”. On thebright side they have little under a year toget their proposals on pilot standards upand running (January 2010). The deadlineset by the PMSC steering group inconjunction with the DfT. Theirfoundation degree course is still been

suggested as a way forward, but theeducation level it is pitched at is wellbelow the standards we require for theprofession.

Deep Sea pilots – Roger Francis reporteda shortage in recruits and staff, which isprobably the start of what we will see inport pilots soon. On a positive note all thedeep sea pilot companies met recently andthey appear to be working with eachother. Roger spends a great deal of time ontraffic routing schemes and wind-farmtraffic problems at various committees.

Pilot boat Survey – It is 10 years since theoriginal survey went out from Gareth, andit was decided to revamp the records solocal secretaries will be receiving a pro-forma soon asking for details. DaveRoberts from Liverpool will be frontingthe survey. Two Australian pilots wererecently hosted on a 3 month world tourincluding some UK ports looking at pilotboats so they could buy two new ones.

Bridge resource management – variousBRM courses are appearing from thecolleges both in the UK & Ireland. BRMfor Pilots is a requirement of IMO A960.At the time of writing there is no course inthe UK or Ireland which is approved A960compliant. The UKMPA and MCA areaware of this fact. Anyone who is thinkingof going on a course please get in contactwith me or Dave Williams on the sectioncommittee for advice. (For latest news onthis see page 12 – Ed).

One last request – if anyone has anyproblems with ship designs, rudders, deadslow speeds, pilot ladders, pilot coats etcplease tell us! An e-mail to any of the teamwill start the ball rolling and we can help,advise or make other aware. All theT&TC committee contacts are on theUKMPA web site.

Brian WilsonChairman T&TC, Belfast Pilots

e-mail is b.wilson@belfastpilots.comMobile 07815083101

January 2009 8 The Pilot

Although the actual transfer tookplace at anchor, the two tankerssecured to each other whilstunderway and in the followingaccount, which may of course bevery valuable if such operations arepermitted to resume, Ewanexplains how the operation washandled by the pilots:

The operation to moor the twotankers together started with thesmaller ship making a rendezvouswith a tug off Ardrossan andpicking up 3 large YokohamaFenders to place alongside on theport side and two smaller fenders— one over the port bow at the end

of the forecastle head and the other on the port quarter.The Pilot on the “small” ship then proceeded towards the VLCC and

Pilot on the VLCC steered a course so that the wind was 10 degrees on theport bow. The larger ship adjusted speed to suit the smaller ships minimumspeed (normally about 5 - 6 knots in the case of a motor ship). The smallership then approached from the starboard quarter, usually giving helmorders of port 10- midships- port 5 midships- port 10 –midships andreducing speed until both ships were abreast and in position alongside eachother. Once the fenders touched and with both vessels relatively stoppedalongside each other the pilot on the smaller ship put the helm hard to portwhile the bow was tied up to the other ship. Once the bows were securedtogether the stern moorings were passed and secured

Once ‘all fast’, the Pilot on the VLCC took over the Piloting of both shipsto the designated anchorage area where the transfer took place.

With respect to other vessels, operations were always undertaken indaylight outside the Cumbrae Heads, where there is plenty of sea room andvirtually no crossing traffic so thankfully we never encountered any closequarters situations.

The 33,000 tonne French Shell tanker Isidora (pilot J Barron) approachesthe VLCC Richard Maersk (pilot E Ramsay).

Having made contact the helm of the smaller tanker isplaced hard to port to secure the bows.

Ewan Ramsay on board the RichardMaersk during transfer operations.

All photos: E Ramsay

Following completion of loading the Dutch tanker Sepia(pilot N Campbell) departs from the Richard Maersk.

The Dutch tanker Nacia approaches a Bergeson VLCCOBO. (pilot J. Morrison) These vessels were the largesttwo vessels to undertake the transfer operation. The Isle

of Arran is visible to starboard.

As many of you are probably aware there have been several proposals tabled duringthe last few years to permit ship to ship oil transfers at several locations around theUK coast especially for the export of oil cargoes from Russia where the depth of theBaltic precludes the use of large tankers. For many years such operations wereoccasionally carried out off Lyme Bay but following pressure from localenvironmentalists, these transfers were suspended voluntarily by the operatorsseveral years ago. Whilst the debate continues over the granting of permissions forsuch operations, retired Clyde pilot Ewan Ramsay sent me some photographs of oiltransfer operations that the Clyde pilots undertook in the 1970s.

Ship to shiptransfers inthe 1970’s

The Pilot 9 January 2009

Only two pilots were suitably trained for berthing the ship, myself and John Harrison-Nayes, having received four days simulator training at H R Wallingford.

The roster turn fell to myself with LNG trained pilot Michael Johnson as assistantor “bagman”. John Harrison Nayes and pilot David Lloyd also joined as “trippers”.

Boarding was arranged at the NE Spit boarding ground for 0730 for the transit upto the North and then via the Long Sand Head and the Sunk Deep water route intothe Black Deep. Of interest here is that boarding used to be undertaken at the Sunkboarding ground but since the removal of the Sunk VTS, the gas majors’ riskassessment of that area deemed that they would rather have a pilot on board whenpassing through the busy Sunk traffic scheme.

The passage plan had been forwarded to all interested parties 24 hours previouslybut this had to be adjusted en route because the vessel’s sophisticated engine loadprogramme kept cutting in and reducing the speed. This was not operationally aproblem on the rising tide and there was no conflicting traffic to hinder the arrival.

The 60 mile passage via the Long Sand Head , Black Deep, Knock John and theOaze Deep was undertaken at an average speed of 15knots.

The first escort tug Svitzer Victory (65t) was picked up at the West Oaze Buoy andmade fast centre lead aft for the Medway Approach Channel passage. Additional tugswere made fast us upon entering the Channel: Svitzer Warden (70t) on the Starboardbow and the Svitzer Harty (70t) on the starboard quarter. The Channel passage pastthe Richard Mongomery wreck went smoothly in benign conditions, (SWl’y 10kts)with the expected cross channel set monitored with frequent walks out to thestarboard bridge wing! The tug Svitzer Morag (50t) joined us at Garrison Point tosecure on the centre lead forward for the final approach and swing.

Speed was gradually reduced during this phase, 8kts at the Point, 5kts through theHarbour and down to zero through the water (1.8kts ground speed) off the Jetty.

The vessel has twin screw diesel propulsion with twin rudders so steering at lowspeed was very effective and the astern movement produced no “cut”. The Ownersinstructions forbade using the engines separately except in an emergency and so, withno bow thruster fitted, the swing was all down to the tugs. With all way taken off theship she was turned in good time at approximately 20 degrees per minute, but havingset down heavily on the tide, a long half aheadmovement was required once the swing hadbeen completed in order to effect a goodapproach speed for the berth.

In the relatively confined space available inSaltpan Reach our tried and tested use of theassistant pilot is invaluable. Michael Johnsonprovided vector information and monitoredthe tug orders throughout the swing andapproach. On the final approach to the berthuse is made of the Docking System displayboard and both pilots work together.

Total moorings were 3, 3, 2 each end and allthe time that such vessels are berthed at theLNG facility there are dedicated tugs and pilotson “stand by” in case of an emergency. “Now,could you sign my Invoice please Captain”?

Britain’s largest gas import delivered to the Isle of Grainby Medway pilot John Gurton

The view from the bridge

The Al Khuwair arrived on the 17th November for commissioning of the phase 2 gas tanks at Isle of Grain with adelivery of 215,000m3 of LNG. This represented the largest ever import of gas by ship into the UK. A daylightberthing was agreed as this was first of this larger type of LNG vessel (plus the bonus for Centrica of publicity!) toberth at the facility. With a draft of 11.7 m there were no UKC problems on passage.

All Fast

Swinging off the berth

On passage through the “BlackDeep”. Senior Medway Pilot

John Gurton

All photos:John Gurton’s collection

AL KHUWAIR DETAILS:Built 2007:Samsung Shipbuilding & Heavy Industries Co. LtdLaunched: 2008Gross 135848 Net 41972DWT 107500 Formula DWT179976Dimensions:Length Overall: 315m Breadth: 50mDepth: 27m Draft: 12m

January 2009 10 The Pilot

Further to last year’s Merchant Navy medalawards which saw retired Liverpool pilot DaveDevey receive the medal for “services to UKand European pilotage” (see pilot 292)December 4th last year saw two UKMPAserving pilots receive the award from AdmiralLord West of Spithead at St MichaelPaternoster Royal Church, City of London.

London pilot John Freestone received themedal for “services to Thames pilotage andyouth sail training” and of particular note TeesBay pilot, Colin Pratt received the award forhis bravery in rescuing fellow pilot Paul Dunn(see issue 295) from the freezing waters of theN. Sea.

On April 17, 2008, Colin was in the pilotcutter when Paul lost his grip whist boardingthe coaster Karina G, and in the darkness andheavy seas fell into the sea. Although alifebuoy was thrown to him from the pilotcutter, the cold had numbed him so rapidlythat he completely lost the use of his handsand was unable to attach it to his harness toenable him to be winched back on board.Without hesitation, Colin donned a survivalsuit and in the pitch dark and heavy swells,jumped into the sea where he secured therescue line to Paul. Once safely on board thecutter, Colin wrapped him in blankets andkept up a stream of conversation to stop himlosing consciousness as they sped back in toport.

He then accompanied Paul to hospital andwaited with him until his wife arrived. In his20 minutes in the water, Paul’s bodytemperature had fallen to 31°C (the norm is37°C and 29°C is regarded as being fatal), andclearly he could not have survived muchlonger. The nomination for Colin’s medalpraised his “unselfish act of courage whichundoubtedly helped to save the life of acolleague”.

The 2008 Merchant Navy medal recipients with Admiral Lord West of Spithead

All photos: John Nelligan

In addition to Colin and John, nine others also received the award:

Michael Grey (services to marine journalism and merchantseafaring)

M. Coombs (services to cruise liners and the South AtlanticMedal Association)

Capt M. J. Morton (services to coastal shipping)

Capt E. M. Scott, RNR (services to merchant seafaring and theexploration and scientific research)

CPO J. W. Summers (services to polar exploration and research)

A. R. Todd (services to marine surveying and consultancy)

B. J. Wattling (services to cruise liners)

Honorary awards were made to:

Miss A. P. Haines (services to the welfare of merchant seafarers)

Cdr C. F. Heron-Watson, RN (services to the welfare and education of thedependents of needy merchant seafarers).

Tees Bay pilot: Colin PrattLondon pilot: John Freestone

Merchant Navy Medals

The Pilot 11 January 2009

Richard John Howlett1932 - 2008

Born on the 23rd September 1932 inWandsworth, London, Richard Howlettwas educated at Kings CollegeWimbledon, joining the HMS Worcester in1947 prior to going to sea with the RoyalMail Line in 1949. He rose to 2nd Mate by1959 when he decided to get more RiverThames experience so he joined the famousLCC sludge vessels for 2 years and then theTrinity House Pilot vessels until he wasaccepted as a Trinity House Cinque PortsPilot in 1964.

Richard was a Rotarian, a devoutChristian and a valued member of ourPilots Committees being brilliant at allforms of statistical analysis so necessary inthe 1980’s pilotage political scene. In 1988Richard became a Port of LondonAuthority Pilot beginning a new andimmensely happy life when he met Joycewhom he married in 1990. Unfortunately afew years later Richard had to have a hip

replacement, then found he could nolonger manages a 9metre pilot ladder andhad to retire early.

Sadly, it was the beginning of a series ofillnesses that Richard coped with in hisusual inimitably cheerful way, onecomplaint followed another but he wasalways found laughing and joking, evenmanaging to visit his son and family inSouth Africa until finally with his bodyweak from years of ill health he wasdiagnosed with liver cancer and died onthe 28th June 2008.

Richard leaves his wife Joyce, his sonJonathan and daughter in law Caroline, hisgrandchildren Samantha, Natalie andVincent and his daughter Sarah, togetherwith four step grandchildren. He will notbe forgotten.

John Godden, Cinque Ports &Port of London Pilot (retired)

January 2009 11 The Pilot

OBITUARIES

Captain Dan McCann

Londonderry Port and Harbour Com-missioners has mourned the passing ofFoyle Pilot Captain Dan McCann ofShrove, Greencastle in Co Donegal. Danspent 32 years as a pilot on the Foyle,having first gone to sea at the age of 14 in1967, on board the Owenro, joining hiselder brother John, who was captain of theship.

Dan served on at least 20 ships over thenext 9 years and worked for shipping linessuch as Gem Lines and Coes. His travelstook him to North Africa, the Medi-terranean and Scandinavia before gettinghis Master’s Certificate to become aCaptain in 1976 at the age of 23. Thatsame year he joined the Foyle Pilots, 55

years to the day after his own father hadbecome a Foyle Pilot.

Piloting on the Foyle was an integralpart of his ancestry. Dan was at least thesixth generation of Foyle Pilots on hisfather’s side – the first recorded referencebeing to Roger McCann in 1808, fromwhom he is directly descended. Dan wasalso the fourth generation of Foyle Pilot’son his mother’s side, descending from NeilGillespie who was first recorded as a FoylePilot in 1811.

Until he retired from ill-health earlierthis year, the ships he piloted through thenarrow channels of Lough Foyle includedall classes of vessels including high profilevisitors like the Royal Yacht Britannia, andThe Bounty in August 2007.

Dan will be deeply missed by his fellowpilots, boatmen and Londonderry Port andHarbour staff. Harbour Master BillMcCann, a nephew of Dan’s, describedhim as someone who was “conscientious,safety conscious, an excellent ship handlerwith a calm steady temperament whichmeant he worked well in often hazardousconditions with ships’ crews from allround the world.”

Fellow pilot Captain Con O’Donnell –who grew up with Dan in the same ruralcommunity - said that as a man, Dan’s lifeand loyalty was centred in his home andfamily but that when it came to his work asa pilot, “he brought the same loyalty anddedication to the job and to hiscolleagues.”

All those who knew him will rememberDan McCann as a gentle, kind, generous,straight and honest man. He had a

mischievous sense of humour and an everpresent twinkle in his eye.

The sea was Dan’s profession but alsohis hobby and indeed his passion. Formany years he spent his summer holidaysfishing for salmon in Lough Foyle. Thenfor the past ten years he and his wifeMichelle spent their free time sailing intheir yacht “Aronele” along the west coastof Scotland and Hebridean islands. Theyplanned to venture further afield afterretiring.

That was not to be, however, as Danbecame seriously ill in October last yearand peacefully passed away at home on11th Sept, aged 56 years. He is survived byhis beloved wife Michelle, his sons Johnand Barry, daughter Meadhbh, daughter-in-law Fawzia and grandchildren Saoirseand Oisin, brothers Charlie, John andDesmond, and sisters Joan, Marie, Eileenand Katriona.

Submitted by Trish Hegarty,Press Officer for Londonderry Port and

Harbour Commissioners.

Pensioners Deceased–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––August 2008 to October 2008–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––AE Barnes Port of London

E Fowler London South

D McCann Londonderry

JE Morris Manchester

DG Palmer Harwich

January 2009 12 The PilotThe Pilot 12 January 2009

UKPMA CONTACTSPresident Lord Tony BerkeleyHonorary vice-Presidents:

Messrs F Berry, OBE, T Morgan, C Wilkin, OBEChairman of the Section Committee

J Wilson, 34 The Orchard, Broom Hill, Ingelby Barwick, Stockton-on-Tees TS17 5NA.(H) 01642 750395 (M) 07881 958274 Email: joewilson22@o2.co.uk

Vice-Chairman//TreasurerJ Pretswell, 13 Ladylands Terrace, Selkirk, TD7 4BB.(H) 01750 21173 (M) 07968 633970 Email: john@pretswell.fsnet.co.uk

SecretaryJohn Pearn, The Grange, Hill Mountain, Houghton, Milford Haven, PembrokeshireSA73 1NA. (H) 01646 601556 (M) 07971 615703 Email: john@pearn.co.uk

J Pretswell, 13 Ladylands Terrace, Selkirk, TD7 4BB.(H) 01750 21173 (M) 07968 633970 Email: john@pretswell.fsnet.co.uk

Section CommitteeS Campbell, Burnside House, Roundy Hill, By Glamis, Angus DD8 1QD.(H) 01575 575530 (M) 07710 72205 Email: simsalcam@aol.com D Cockrill, 29 Edith Road, Faversham, Kent ME13 8SD.(H) 01795 537310 (M) 07966 709403 Email: don.cockrill@tesco.net P Wylie, 48 Fox Howe, Coulby Newham, Middlesborough, TS8 0RU.(H) 01642 595147 (M) 07980 578605 Email: peter.wylie@ntlworld.com D Williamson, 19 Ridgeway Drive, Lydiate, Liverpool, L31 0DE.(H) 01515 318211 Email: merseypilot@blueyonder.co.ukKevin Constable, 19 5 Epsom Gardens, South Green, Dereham, Norfolk NR19 1TY.(H) 01362 690726 (M) 07917 582376 Email: constable768@btinternet.com

Europilots RepresentativeCaptain CJA Hughes, Tumblehome, 5 Orchard Close, Felton, N Somerset BS40 9YS.Email: chairman@europilots.org.uk

Chairman, Technical & Training CommitteeB Wilson, 6 Bradford Heights, Carrickfergus, Co Antrim, N Ireland, BT38 9EB.(H) 02893 362559 Email: b.wilson@belfastpilots.com

Ken Pound, Meridian Risk Solutions Ltd.Valiant House, 4-10 Heneage Lane, London EC3A 5DQ. 0207 648 5177.

Editor of The PilotJohn Clandillon-Baker FNI, Canterbury Gate House, Ash Rd, Sandwich, CT13 9HZ.(H) 01304 613020 Email: john@pilotmag.co.uk

PNPF Debbie Marten Tel: (01732) 779460 Fax: (01732) 779464 Independent Examiners Hawdon Bell & Company, North Shields

Liverpool pilotsaccredited to runMaritime ResourceManagement(MRM) coursesIn September 2008 Liverpool Pilots,through The Swedish Club, put two Pilotsthrough the Maritime ResourceManagement training for Work ShopLeaders. We now have two WorkshopLeaders approved by The Swedish Club todeliver MRM courses and are the firstorganisation in the UK to be listed as aTraining Providers on the Swedish Clubwebsite, www.theswedishclub.com/mrm.

Along with many other Pilotage Services,following recommendations from theMAIB and our own continual professionaldevelopment programme, we wantedPilots to attend Bridge ResourceManagement (BRM) / MRM courses. Welooked at the usual training establishmentsbut found that the BRM courses theyoffered failed to live up to expectationssince they weren’t directed at pilots.

We opted for MRM because we believethat a Pilot’s duty is not limited to theconfines of a ships’ bridge. The core of thecourse covers all areas specifically tailoredto the Pilot’s perspective since pilotsteaching pilots is a tradition that wepromote and want to continue. To date ourcourses have received favourable feedbackand we are in the process of gaining MCAaccreditation for the course. Each courseruns for two days and we currently havespaces on some planned courses but if 8 ormore spaces are required then specialcourses can be arranged to suit; either hereor we can come to you.

For further information please contactour Administrator:

Julie Oram on 0151 647 3352 ore-mail admin@liverpoolpilots.com

Matt Easton and Nev DringWorkshop Leaders

Liverpool Pilots We are all relatively familiar with the termBRM and are aware that many Maritimecolleges run BRM courses but if we arehonest, unless we have actually attendedsuch a course, many of us haven’t reallymuch of a clue as to what it is and where itoriginated.

BRM was originally developed from theairline industry’s Crew ResourceManagement (CRM). Human behaviourand psychological and physiologicalfactors are very much the same in bothaviation and shipping and in 1993 themarine insurer the Swedish Club and sixother major Maritime organisationsconverted the CRM training programme to

BRM.However, since not all accidents

originate from the Bridge, the course asbeen expanded to include others such asengineers and shore-based personnel and isnow referred to as Maritime ResourceManagement (MRM).

The main aim of BRM/MRM is tochange attitudes with the objective ofestablishing a safer and more efficientteamwork onboard ship and to addressissues related to leadership, managementstyles, culture, communication,automation, stress fatigue, etc.

JCB

So, what is Maritime Resource Management MRM?

REMEMBERIt is in your interest, if involved in anyaccident or injury, however trivial it

may seem at the time, to inform:

Circle Insurances ServicesWITHIN 30 DAYSFull policy details for all the

insurances can be viewed on bothCircle and UKPMA websites

The views expressed in letters, articles and advertising in “The Pilot” magazine are those of theirauthors and do not necessarily reflect those of the UKPMA.

Visit the PILOT magazine website at: www.pilotmag.co.uk

The Pilot 13 January 2009

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January 2009 14 The PilotThe Pilot 14 April 2008

This book, subtitled “Autobiographies ofSail” was originally compiled in 1938 byCharles Domville-Fife to record the finaldays of commercial sail but unlike thewonderful books produced by BasilLubbock which recorded in detail the shipsand their trades, this book is the stories ofthose who actually sailed on them.

They say that truth is stranger thanfiction and the last days of sail underpinthis statement. Hell ships, coffin ships,scurvy (even 100 years after Captain Cookit was still claiming seafarers), starvation,mutiny and murder, it is all documented inthis book from first hand accounts. Evenon board the well run ships the conditionswere worse than basic and the seamenspent most of the voyage cold, wet andhungry and life for the officers was littlebetter.

The nostalgic glow of historyconcentrates on the beauty and romance ofthe last sailing ships but the reality was farremoved from this idyll! The irony is thatdespite the fact that these magnificent“windjammer” cargo carrying shipsmarked the culmination of centuries ofevolution in sailing ships they weredoomed just as their design reached thepeak of efficiency. Consequently the socalled golden age of sail only lasted a mere60 years between 1850 and 1910. Thecompetition from steamships had adevastating impact on the way in whichsailing ships could be operated and ascrews were tempted away from sail by thehigher wages, shorter voyages and thegreater comfort offered by steamships,

manning and operating theseships became increasinglydifficult with the result thatmany sailed seriouslyoverloaded and undermanned.Commercial pressures alsorequired them to be sailed tothe limits of their design andthis in turn required a specialbreed of Captain who wouldcarry the maximum amountof sail at all times. Tragically,coasts around the world arelittered with the wreckage ofthe ships lost to suchpractices and many moredisappeared without a tracein the vast expanse of theWorld’s oceans.

Reading this book, thebiggest mystery is howthey managed to survive so long whenthose sailing them had the option oftransferring to the relatively easy life onsteam ships? Whereas many of the crewwere the victims of “crimping” havingbeen poured on board in a drunken stuporand only woke up when it was too late to“escape”, the Captains and officers, after ashort spell of leave, frequently returned forvoyage after voyage.

The answer can only be the indefatigablehuman spirit, still evident today inendurance yacht racing, which by means ofa few bits of rope and canvas, harnesses thewind to push man and boat to the limits.Square Rigger Days therefore provides avaluable record of those final days of

commercial sail and thisedition is lavishly illustrated withphotographs, many of which have beensourced from private collections and havenot previously been published.

An essential addition to any mariner’sbookshelf.

Square Rigger Days.“Autobiographies of Sail”Edited by Charles Domville-Fife.Hardcover: 256 pages Publisher: Seaforth Publishing

(18 Oct 2007) ISBN-10: 1844156958Price: £25.00

BOOK REVIEW

Square Rigger DaysCharles Domville-Fife

The Pilot 15 January 2009

Shop & Factory: Mariner’s House, Mariner’s Way, Somerton Business Park, Newport Road, Cowes, Isle of Wight PO31 8PBTel: +44 (0)1983 282388 • Fax: +44 (0)1983 282399 • Email: admin@seasafe.co.uk • Website: www.seasafe.co.uk

January 2009 16 The Pilot

District Name Address Email Telephone Number

Aberdeen . . . . . . . PG Williams . . . . . . Aberdeen Harbour Pilots, North Pier, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire paul-williams@aberdeen-harbour.co.uk 01224 597000 x 7113 (O)

Barrow . . . . . . . . . Graham John Wood Sea Mill, New Biggin, Ulverston, Cumbria LA12 0RJ 01229 869261 (O)

Belfast . . . . . . . . . . W Esler Esq . . . . . . “Ramoyle”, 17 Corran Manor, Larne, Co. Antrim BT40 1BH wm.esler@btinternet.com 02890 740054 (O)

Boston . . . . . . . . . . R Williamson . . . . . Boston Pilot’s Association, Boston Dock, Boston, Lincs, PE21 6BN 01205 362114 (O)

Bristol . . . . . . . . . . M Chatterton . . . . . Sandhurst, Warren Road, Brean, Burnham-on-Sea, TA8 2RR martinchatterton@btinternet.com 01278 751272

Cowes . . . . . . . . . . Rod Hodgson . . . . . c/o Harbour Office, Town Quay, Cowes, Isle of Wight PO31 7AS dhm.chc@cowes.co.uk 01983 564290

Cromarty . . . . . . . DJ Roberts . . . . . . . Victoria Lodge, Ardross Road, Alness , IV17 0QA roberts.lloyds@virgin.net 01348 880122

Crouch . . . . . . . . . D Enever Esq . . . . . 23 Glebe Way, Frinton on Sea, Essex CO13 9HR 01255 677330

Dartmouth . . . . . . D White . . . . . . . . . Sunny Bank, West Town Meadow, Bishopsteignton, TQ14 9SF 01626 772034

Dover . . . . . . . . . . Nigel Stokes . . . . . . Dover Harbour Board, Harbour House, Dover, Kent CT17 9BU nigel.stokes@doverport.co.uk 01304 240400 Ext 4522

Dundee . . . . . . . . . Ian Easton . . . . . . . 3 Panbridge Road, Carnoustie, DD7 6HS ian.easton@blueyonder.co.uk 01241 857323

Europilots . . . . . . . Capt CJA Hughes . . Tumblehome, 5 Orchard Close, Felton, North Somerset BS40 9YS chairman@europilots.org.uk

Falmouth . . . . . . . J Willis-Richards . . . Manor Cottage Farm, Boskenwyn Downs, Gweek, Helston TR12 7AD jasonrichards@toucansurf.com 01326 574634

Forth . . . . . . . . . . . Robert Watt . . . . . . Maryville, Glasgow Road, Bathgate, West Lothian EH48 2QR bob@rmwatt.com 01506 636682

Fowey . . . . . . . . . . C Wood . . . . . . . . . The Secretary, Pilot Office, The Docks, Fowey, Cornwall PL23 1AL charlie@foweypilots.com 01726 832826

Gloucester . . . . . . CR Merry . . . . . . . . Martins, Lancelot Court, Churchend, Slimbridge, Gloucestershire GL2 7BL carl@merryc.freeserve.co.uk 01453 890726

Haven Ports(Harwich) . . . . . . Mike Robarts . . . . . Haven Pilots Secretary, c/o Harbour House, The Quay, Harwich, Essex CO12 3HH wiggies@tinyworld.co.uk 07968 553189 (M)

Heysham . . . . . . . Capt J Millross . . . . Sandside Cottage, Fluke Hall Lane, Pilling, Preston, Lancs PR3 6HP 01253 790058

Humber . . . . . . . . D Fortnum . . . . . . Humber Pilots, c/o 41 School Lane, Kirk Ella, Hull HU10 7NP dave@humberpilots.karoo.co.uk 01482 627755 (O) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fax 01482 671700

Inverness . . . . . . . Capt K Maclean . . . “Corsten”, 12 Beaufort Road, Inverness, IV2 3NP 01463 715715 (O)

King’s Lynn . . . . . R Havercroft . . . . . . King’s Lynn Conservancy Board, Harbour Office, Common Staith, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE30 1LL 01553 671697 (H)

Lerwick . . . . . . . . . N McLean . . . . . . . Kinnoull, Levenwick, Shetland, ZE2 9HZ 01950 422387

Liverpool . . . . . . . Chris Thomas . . . . . Liverpool Pilotage Services Ltd, 4 Woodside Business Centre, Birkenhead, Merseyside, CH41 1EH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . secretary@liverpoolpilots.com 0151 949 6811

Londonderry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Foyle Pilots, Pilot Station, Greencastle, Co. Donegal, Ireland foylepilots@hotmail.com

London . . . . . . . . . Rod Owen . . . . . . . La Cala, Haggars Lane, Frating, Colchester, CO7 7DN rod.owen3@btopenworld.com 01206 257397

Medway . . . . . . . . S Nichols . . . . . . . . 2 James Close, Lyminge, Folkestone, Kent CT18 8NL selwyn_nichols@hotmail.com 01303 862946

Milford Haven . . . Will Allen . . . . . . . . Crossways Cottage, Rosemary Lane, West Williamson, Pembroke. SA68 0TA william.allen2@homecall.co.uk 01646 651637

Orkney . . . . . . . . . IJ Waters Esq . . . . . Lansdowne, 25 Royal Oak Road, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1RF 01856 875237

Perth . . . . . . . . . . . I Henderson . . . . . . 34 Lorne Crescent, Monifieth, Dundee, DD5 4DZ

Peterhead . . . . . . . GD Geyton . . . . . . . 43 Blackhorse Terrace, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire AB42 1LQ 01779 474281 (O)

Poole . . . . . . . . . . . Brian Murphy . . . . . The Pilot Office, The Quay, Poole, Dorset, BH15 1HA brianmurphy@phc.co.uk 01202 666401 (O)

Portsmouth . . . . . P Fryer . . . . . . . . . . 21 Montserrat Road, Lee on the Solent, Hants PO13 9LT 02392 297395 (O)

Scilly Isles . . . . . . . J Phillips . . . . . . . . . Rose Cottage, The Strand, St Mary’s, Isles of Scilly, Cornwall TR21 0PT 01720 422066

Shoreham . . . . . . . Dave MacVicar . . . . The Pilotage Service, c/o Shoreham Port Authority, The Harbour Office, Albion St, Southwick, Brighton, BN42 4ED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . macvicker@aol.com 01273 592366 (O)

Southampton . . . . Capt Noel Becket . . 65a, Moorgreen Road, West End, Southampton SO30 3EB 02380 466346

South East Wales . WP Barnes . . . . . . . Verber, Victoria Park Road, Cadoxton, Barry, S Glamorgan 01446 742637

Sullom Voe . . . . . . J Leslie Esq . . . . . . . “Cliona”, 4 Lovers Loan, Lerwick, Shetland 01595 695856 (H)

Swansea,inc Port Talbot . . . GP Harris . . . . . . . . c/o ABP Harbour Office, King’s Dock, Swansea, SA1 1QR 01656 662608 (H)

Tees Bay . . . . . . . . Peter Lightfoot . . . . 18 Regency Park, Ingelby Barwick, Stockton on Tees, TS17 0QR katiaandpete@hotmail.com 01642 760447

Teignmouth . . . . . Mark Fleming . . . . . 84 Maudlin Drive, Teignmouth, Devon TQ14 8SB mner@fleming84.plus.com 01626 778112

Weymouth . . . . . . PM Runyeard . . . . . 14 Netherton Road, Weymouth, Dorset DT4 8SB 01305 773118

Wisbech . . . . . . . . B Knight . . . . . . . . . 29 New Road, Sutton Bridge, Lincs PE12 9RA 01406 350838

Gt Yarmouth . . . . Lindsey Wigmore . . 2 Masquers Close, Gorleston, Gt Yarmouth, Norfolk NR32 6SE wiggies@tinyworld.co.uk 01493 301674

United Kingdom Maritime Pilots’Association

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