Pilot Ladders

[Thistle]

In another thread (Signal Flags) Minn posted
"On the other side of the Channel the Dutch feeder containership ESCAPE was happily hooking up het pilot ladder in a manner deprecated by all right thinking seamen"
Read more at http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?520321-Signal-Flags#sFrdhAM0LxMZG0JS.99

This is something which frequently appears in Chirp reports so seems to be a persistent problem. What I don't understand is why pilots (and their port authorities) don't simply refuse to use improperly rigged ladders. Wouldn't that encourage masters (and their employers) to do the job properly? No proper ladder - no pilot - ship stays put.

 

[rogerthebodger]

In my old home port whenever a ship radioed in to a pilot the type of ladder was always specified.

Sometimes a chopper was used. I think a ships pilots job must be very dangerous and I know at least one of Durban's pilots was killed when she fell between the pilot boat and the ships hull