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Solitaire

Solitaire

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Earlier this year I had a rather unique opportunity to go over to Le Havre aboard a banana boat! Although some 16 mins long, some may find the video of interest. Particularly the use of the pilots on each side. One gets off by launch, the other arrives by helicopter!

 
Elza_Skip said:
Wow, fascinating

I wouldn't fancy that climb down the rope ladder to the pilot boat!
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Yes, the ladder descent was interesting; but for me the helicopter drop was fascinating, flew in over the bridge while the ship was dong 20 knots. Held station and dropped the pilot on bridge roof. The guy walked into the bridge with a "good evening captain, I have the ship"
The helo then flew off to the next ship in lne behind us and dropped another pilot.
 
I found it interesting, In the 1980's I initially worked at The Albert Johnson Quay in Portsmouth for about 4 months then I was sent to deepest darkest Le Havre for the same company and I initialy worked at the Terminal de l'Ocean and then in an office on the Boulevard de Strasbourg. I was there about 15 months.

Which Terminal did dock at in Le Havre?

When I was there we went by Ship from Le Havre to Rouen in a 15000 ton French ship which was interesting.
 
Solitaire said:
Yes, the ladder descent was interesting; but for me the helicopter drop was fascinating, flew in over the bridge while the ship was dong 20 knots. Held station and dropped the pilot on bridge roof. The guy walked into the bridge with a "good evening captain, I have the ship"
The helo then flew off to the next ship in lne behind us and dropped another pilot.
Click to expand...

Thanks for posting that. Did they put a safety line on the pilot when he was climbing down the ladder? I remember getting a bridge tour years ago on a 300m cruiser liner when the tugs in the Italian port had just gone on strike. The master decided to take her off the dock and out of port using the azipods and bow thrusters. Who needs tugs with these modern ships unless the wind is strong. The northern Europeans don't get southern European histrionics.
 
oceanfroggie said:
Did they put a safety line on the pilot when he was climbing down the ladder?
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Not that I could see from the wing bridge. I don't think so, he just put his high viz and back pack on and off he went. The pilot boat pacing was good to watch!



Who needs tugs with these modern ships unless the wind is strong. The northern Europeans don't get southern European histrionics.
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I asked the question about the use of tugs on departure and apparently it is a prerequisite for leaving Portsmouth. On arrival in Le Havre no tugs were used and the captain did some great handling. He talked me through it and it was all to do with "giving in shed loads " then using the helm. He has a bow thruster as well with variable pitch.

It was a great experience !
 
oceanfroggie said:
Did they put a safety line on the pilot when he was climbing down the ladder?
Click to expand...

No, they don't. The pilots don't want it; I'm not sure exactly why, though I'm pretty sure it's not down to macho bravado. Perhaps they'd rather drop clean into the sea than get dangled into the gap between launch and ship, and then crushed between them? International pilotage regulations say that ships have to have man-overboard gear standing by (used to be my job to fetch it on Stavros :) ) and proper lighting etc. Plus of course the launch is right there ready to pick them up if they did fall off, so they'd only be in the water for seconds.

Pete
 
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