A pilot ladder is a highly specialized form of

rope ladder A rope is a group of yarns, Plying, plies, fibres, or strands that are plying, twisted or braided together into a larger and stronger form. Ropes have high tensile strength and can be used for dragging and lifting. Rope is thicker and stronger ...

, typically used on board cargo vessels for the purposes of embarking and disembarking

pilots An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators because they are ...

. The design and construction of the ladders is tightly specified by international regulation under the SOLAS regime. Pilot ladders and other boarding arrangements must be carefully prepared for each operation, with the equipment inspected and verified as safe to use before each boarding takes place. Additional requirements relate to the use of man-ropes, platforms, accommodation ladders, combination ladders and securing methods.

Construction

The ladders are made by threading and fixing a series of

hardwood Hardwood is wood from Flowering plant, angiosperm trees. These are usually found in broad-leaved temperate and tropical forests. In temperate and boreal ecosystem, boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostl ...

machined Machining is a manufacturing process where a desired shape or part is created using the controlled removal of material, most often metal, from a larger piece of raw material by cutting. Machining is a form of subtractive manufacturing, which util ...

steps, each not more than , onto two pairs of minimum diameter manila ropes, and binding each step to the ropes at intervals. At a maximum interval of eight steps, the standard step is replaced by a ''spreader'', which is an elongated version of the standard machined step, with a minimum length of . The spreader's function is to prevent the ladder from twisting in the prevailing weather conditions when in use. The lowest four steps of the ladder are normally made from a synthetic or

composite resin Dental composite resins (better referred to as "resin-based composites" or simply "filled resins") are dental cements made of synthetic resins. Synthetic resins evolved as restorative materials since they were insoluble, of good tooth-like appe ...

, which is more resistant than hardwood, to the interaction between the host vessel and the

pilot boat A pilot boat is a type of boat used to transport maritime pilots between land and the inbound or outbound ships that they are piloting. Pilot boats were once sailing boats that had to be fast because the first pilot to reach the incoming ship ...

coming alongside. Because the decks of most commercial ships are far above the waterline, pilots and others who need to come aboard at sea can usually only do so if a pilot ladder is put out. When not being used, the ladder is stowed away (usually rolled up) rather than left hanging. Alternative arrangements such as ship-side doors with ladders may also be allowed if approved by a Classification Society. The use of shackles to secure the ladder is generally not permitted, instead knots should be tied to a fixed securing point on the deck of the ship.

Incidents

Unsafe pilot ladders or pilot boarding arrangements not in compliance with regulation have resulted in numerous injuries or deaths of marine pilots and other persons at sea. In January 2023, a pilot died on the

River Humber The Humber is a large tidal estuary on the east coast of Northern England. It is formed at Trent Falls, Faxfleet, by the confluence of the tidal rivers Ouse and Trent. From there to the North Sea, it forms part of the boundary between ...

while boarding via pilot ladder. In May 2023, a Japanese pilot died in a pilot ladder incident in the port of

Nagasaki , officially , is the capital and the largest Cities of Japan, city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. Founded by the Portuguese, the port of Portuguese_Nagasaki, Nagasaki became the sole Nanban trade, port used for tr ...

Guidance

''The Pilot Ladder Manual'', published by the Witherbys in 2024 details regulations and procedures for ships and

maritime pilot A maritime pilot, marine pilot, harbor pilot, port pilot, ship pilot, or simply pilot, is a mariner who has specific knowledge of an often dangerous or congested waterway, such as harbors or river mouths. Maritime pilots know local details s ...

embarkation and disembarkation.

References

{{reflist Watercraft components Vertical transport devices Ladders de:Jakobsleiter (Strickleiter) it:Biscaglina ru:Штормтрап

Construction

Incidents

Guidance

See also

References