THE The magazine of thePILOT United Kingdom Maritime Pilots’ Association WINTER 2014 No. 317 In this issue: Commonwealth Flotilla Piloting the UK’s new Aircraft Carrier Annual Ports Conference 2014 126th UKMPA Conference William Hedley Kett 1913-2014: A Hero’s Tale Dedication of memorials to the Seafarers Wi-Fi System installed loss of two Liverpool Pilot Boats at the Port of Ipswich Canal by M Robarts Robarts M by Canal Ship Image: Manchester Manchester Image: Whatever your outlook... whatever the conditions... Chairman’s Report Don Cockrill whatever your position... It was a great general advice documents, most PMSC is being addressed as a pleasure to see of which were regurgitated from matter of priority. It is also apparent a packed room other sources, with no effort made that ALL stakeholders in a port for the 126th to give advice of direct relevance community (from the regulator conference to pilots and other front line border outwards) should work together in Chester personnel. I have been working to establish a mutually agreed last month. closely with the DfT for some weeks mediation/arbitration process so As reported now and in conjunction with PHE that where there is discord between elsewhere in this two presentations were organised them (which is inevitable from time edition, the 52 pilots and numerous – one at the conference in Chester to time) a structured procedure can guests as well as exhibitors and and the other a few days later in be followed to try to reach a mutually speakers enjoyed and indeed were Southampton, this latter widely satisfactory solution rather than enlightened by the eclectic mix of promulgated within the ports industry. simply resorting to legal action. erudite and informative presentations. You should by now have seen the More about this will be forthcoming Night or Poor Light Navigation Confined Berthing Solutions Resolutions passed of significance slides of the Chester presentation in the new year. to members are the establishment and hopefully the accompanying I am now entering my fifth year as of a second vice-chairman to assist video which is awaited as I write. your chairman and continue to enjoy in representation duties and also the I have also been urging the DfT to the role and I hope am serving you re-affirmation of the 2006 mandate publish an M-Notice style document to your benefit. It is my intention to employ a Secretary General in offering simple practical advice. to stand-down at conference next the future. In essence, there are a lot of media year. Professional representation is Although he was unable to address hyped myths about Ebola. Caution a team effort and the current teams conference in person owing to late is required if you are tasked to pilot within both the Section and Training notice parliamentary obligations, a targeted vessel from W Africa, & Technical committees are strong, the Rt Hon John Hayes MP (as but simple personal hygiene with hard working and effective. However, shipping minister) sent a short frequent hand washing (soap is better new blood is always needed both video message instead. Amongst than anti-bacterial hand cleansers) at a local (District) and national level. the (to be) expected political asides and a common sense approach are It is up to you how deeply you are Channel Navigation Poor Visibility Navigation the address contained a couple of all that are needed. In a nutshell, able to be involved in one or the significant statements concerning any infected individual apparently other, but for certain, involvement the importance and roles of would be unable to function in a is essential for the future of Marine Pilots and the UKMPA. professional sense so is unlikely to our Association. Both the speech and most of the be encountered by a pilot in the UK. By the time you read this the presentations are available at http:// Recent events at a specific UK Winter Solstice will be upon us bit.ly/1tCUaAR. The 2015 conference port, concerning the re-organisation and the nights will shorten as we will be 4 & 5 November on board of pilotage, with the current head towards Spring; but of course HQS Wellington, London. regime being replaced (but most we still have the winter storms to The recent Ebola crisis in West Africa concernedly with a associated very contend with. has justifiably caused much concern poor, non A960 compliant training May you have a peaceful and amongst the maritime community. regime), have shown how ineffective Happy Christmas and enjoy the Shipping was served very well and the current Pilotage Legislation celebrations to welcome in what promptly by advice to masters and actually is at ensuring the proper AIS Acquisition Riser Monitoring I hope will for you all be a safe, shipping companies. The UK ports regulation of pilotage in the UK. healthy and prosperous 2015. community received a number of The omission of A960 from the Navicom Dynamics is proud to present We have the the ChannelPilot MK2. Now with AMSA/USCG Compatible MF solution for you beacon DGPS option. www.navicomdynamics.com P +64 9 915 5330 Navicom Dynamics F +64 9 415 8361 Precision Portable Navigation E [email protected] Piloting the UK’s new Aircraft Carrier Keith McLean HMS Queen Elizabeth, the first of with a beam at the waterline of the Forth over the past 30 years UK’s two new aircraft carriers, was 39.6m and flight deck beam of 76m. and as pilots we were well aware named by Her Majesty the Queen of the challenges they presented, The contract to build the two carriers at Babcock’s Rosyth dockyard but the new Queen Elizabeth at Rosyth was signed in 2008, and in Scotland on 4 July 2014, and class represents a considerable the Forth Pilots became involved manoeuvred out of the building upward step. The vessels are being in the planning in 2009. In order to dock to her fitting out berth on 17 assembled in Rosyth from modules ensure continuity in the pilotage July. She is the largest warship ever fabricated at shipyards throughout aspects of operations four pilots, to be constructed in the UK. the UK. Final assembly is in a from our district of 27 pilots, were dock completed during World There will be further high profile, assigned to the aircraft carrier War One that required extensive high stress movements in the years project. All stakeholders in the improvements in preparation for to come, including the sea trials movement and construction of the carrier programme. A large of HMS Queen Elizabeth in 2016, the Queen Elizabeth class carriers civil engineering project was HMS Prince of Wales following have worked closely together on necessary to extend the dock approximately two years later, in this highly unusual project – shipyard, and widen the direct entrance to terms of construction and delivery. transportation, tug masters and the enclosed basin. The move from the building dock pilots. The ship simulator at South to the fitting out berth completed Tyneside College was heavily After construction in the building After several simulation sessions and Four of the tugs, with a combined pilot was therefore placed forward the first chapter of Forth Pilots’ utilised to simulate and fine-tune dock there was only a clearance of many meetings involving the shipyard bollard pull of 310 tonnes, were on the anchor observation platform. involvement in the £6 billion aircraft the movement of the completed 135mm between the bilge keel and and tug operators it was clear that from the nearby BP crude oil This was so that accurate visual carrier project. aircraft carriers and the arrival of the dock wall. Even a small angle on leaving the dock presented many terminal at Hound Point. Total information on the position of the the large block sections at Rosyth. departure from the dock would have marine challenges. A controlled exit bollard pull available for the move bulbous bow was always available The Queen Elizabeth class carriers resulted in damage to the bilge keel. was proving difficult. Exiting the dock was in excess of 400 tonnes. to the lead pilot. will be 65,000 tonnes displacement All aircraft carrier movements An additional problem was that the in a conventional manner represented on delivery, which places them in present challenges to pilots: there To ensure there would be no problem A portable pilot unit (PPU) was building dock does not have shore an unacceptably high risk of damage. terms of size somewhere between is no visibility of the ship’s side and with making tugs fast there were pre- essential to give accurate speed, winches to control the position of A solution had to be found. the French carrier Charles de Gaulle a lack of a centre conning position. rigged messengers secured to the rate of turn and lateral movement the vessel, and stern movement, (42,000 tonnes) and the US Nimitz The Invincible class of aircraft carriers The solutions arrived at were ship’s side, which were numbered to information. The system chosen on exit. class (100,000 tonnes). LOA = 285m, have been fairly regular visitors to imaginative and successful. To ensure there would be no confusion. was the Marimatech system control the heading when exiting The fairleads were also numbered. with real time kinematic (RTK) the dock a large pontoon was capability, giving centimetre- The main pilot conning position was moored at the dock exit, in line with accurate positioning. under the forward end of the forward the dock wall and therefore effectively aircraft lift. A scaffold platform had to Due to the complex nature of the extending the length of the dock.