Ship Transfer Safety Clip

A viral ship-transfer clip shows how fast a routine pilot boarding can turn into a man-overboard emergency when one slip happens at the ship’s side. (x.com) The video circulating on X appears to show a marine pilot losing footing during a transfer between a pilot boat and a ship while not wearing a visible life jacket. International Maritime Organization rules treat pilot transfer arrangements as a regulated safety system under SOLAS Chapter V, Regulation 23. (x.com) (imorules.com) Pilot boarding usually happens by a rope-and-wood pilot ladder hung over the ship’s side while the vessel is making way, often in darkness, swell, spray, and wind. The International Maritime Organization’s Resolution A.1045(27) sets detailed ladder standards, including non-slip steps, minimum step width of 115 millimeters, spacing of 310 to 350 millimeters, and steps that must remain horizontal. (wwwcdn.imo.org) The personal-protection side is separate from the ladder itself. The International Maritime Pilots’ Association’s May 2024 guidance includes sections on helmets, protection against drowning, personal locating devices, pilot boats, and the standard pilot transfer operation. (impahq.org) That focus has intensified because regulators tightened the rules in 2025. The International Maritime Organization said on September 5, 2025 that its Maritime Safety Committee had adopted amendments to SOLAS Regulation V/23 and related performance standards in June 2025, with entry into force expected on January 1, 2028. (wwwcdn.imo.org) Industry data shows the problem is not rare. IMPA said its 2025 Safety Campaign collected more than 5,200 reports and found substandard transfer arrangements in 14% of them, with pilot ladders the most frequent concern. (impahq.org) Shipping groups have been updating practical guidance as well as formal rules. The International Chamber of Shipping and IMPA published updated pilot-transfer guidance in September 2024 and said embarking and disembarking pilots remains a “perilous activity” that can cause severe injury or death. (assets.eu.ctfassets.net) The clip does not by itself establish who was responsible, what procedures were briefed, or whether local pilotage rules required additional equipment beyond what is visible on screen. But the gap it highlights is concrete: pilot transfer safety depends on compliant ladders, correct rigging, protective gear, and a rescue plan that is ready before the first foot goes over the side. (x.com) (impahq.org)