Pilot Ladder

A pilot ladder is a highly specialized form of rope ladder, typically used on board cargo vessels for the purposes of embarking and disembarking pilots. 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.

Pilot ladders are not your typical household ladders. They are meticulously engineered to meet specific requirements for maritime safety and functionality. Here are some key features and components:

Construction and Materials
● Durable Materials: Pilot ladders are typically constructed from durable materials like manila rope, synthetic fibers, or a combination of both. These materials are chosen for their strength, resistance to wear and tear, and ability to withstand the harsh marine environment
● Steps: The rungs or steps of the ladder are made of wood, metal, or a combination of both. They are designed to provide a secure foothold, even in wet and slippery conditions. The steps are typically spaced at a comfortable distance for easy climbing
● Manropes: Two strong ropes, known as manropes, run along the sides of the ladder. These ropes provide additional support and stability for the person climbing the ladder. They are usually made of thick, durable rope and are securely attached to the ladder's top and bottom

Length and Configuration
● Adjustable Length: Pilot ladders are designed to be adjustable in length to accommodate different ship heights and water levels. This flexibility is essential for ensuring safe and convenient boarding, regardless of the vessel's size or the tide's height
● Sections: The ladder is often made up of multiple sections that can be easily connected or disconnected. This allows for quick adjustments and storage when not in use
● Treads: The treads of the ladder are designed to provide a secure foothold, even in wet and slippery conditions. They are often made of wood or metal and are spaced at a comfortable distance for easy climbing

Safety Features
● Safety Lines: Pilot ladders are equipped with safety lines that run along the sides of the ladder. These lines are designed to prevent the ladder from swinging excessively and to provide additional support for the person climbing. They are usually made of thick, durable rope and are securely attached to the ladder's top and bottom
● Boarding Platforms: Some pilot ladders include a boarding platform at the top, which provides a stable and secure platform for the pilot to step onto the ship's deck. This platform is typically made of metal or wood and is designed to be strong and durable
● Illumination: For night operations, pilot ladders are often equipped with lights to improve visibility and ensure safe boarding. These lights are usually mounted on the ladder itself or on the ship's deck to illuminate the ladder and the surrounding area

A pilot normally embarks and disembarks from a ship using a special ladder known by what else but the pilot ladder due to obvious reasons. You can best understand about the pilot ladder by taking a look at the sketch of such a ladder in the image below. The image shows the pilot ladder hanging down from the ship side. As you can make out, the ladder has the following parts

Manrope – This is a rope which is present on both sides for physical hold of the person climbing or descending from the ship.

Sideropes – These are used to hold the steps and take the weight of the climbers and the steps. Regulations say that this rope cannot be less then 20 mm in diameter.

Spreaders – These are used at regular intervals of the pilot ladder and help to ensure that the ladder does not get twisted which would cause difficulty to the pilot. They are normally 2m in length and are made of some kind of hard wood that could be oak. The maximum interval of a spreader can be 9 steps.

Treads/steps – The steps obviously need to be made of non-slippery material and are also normally made of same material like the spreaders, except the last 3 steps which are made out of hard rubber as they would more often come in contact with the sea water.

It must be remembered that the pilot ladder has to be made from a continuous length only and cannot be made of two or more lengths joined together. This is simply to ensure strength as you wouldn't want the pilot to be in a dangerous situation.

But do you realize how the ladder is fastened at the top where it reaches the main deck of the ship. Well it can be done in either of the two ways depending on the exact situation at the top. The pictures below show two situations where the ladder goes over the bulwark and directly onto the main deck. The images are self explanatory and you can see that in either case, the handrails are provided for grip of the climber at the top of the ascent. Also the ropes are secured safety with some arrangement at the deck which is very important.

The pilot ladder should be rigged in such a manner that all steps remain horizontal and the lower end of the ladder will be at a height that will allow easy access to and from the pilot boat.
A lifebuoy attached with self-igniting light shall be kept at the point of access to the ship.
At night, the pilot ladder, over-side areas, and the ship's deck near the embarkation point should be lit by a forward-facing light.
The pilot ladder should be rigged so that it is free from any discharge.
The pilot ladder should be rigged within the mid-ship half-section of the ship.
The person climbing shall be able to board the vessel after climbing no more than 9 meters.
When a combination ladder is used the pilot ladder should extend at least 2 meters above the bottom platform of the accommodation ladder.
An adequate handhold shall be provided at the ship access on the top of a ladder.
At the access to the ship, a ladder should be securely provided with a bulwark or landing platform.

Pilot ladders and embarkation ladders share many common design components which is why they are frequently mistaken for each other. The easiest way to look at the two is to consider the differences as these make the identification of pilot ladders and embarkation ladders much easier.

The key differences are

A pilot ladders lowermost 4 steps are usually made of rubber to cope with the potential impact of a pilot boat whereas an embarkation has wooden steps throughout.

A pilot ladder will have spreader steps throughout its length to prevent it from twisting. These elongated steps are generally found every 9th step but can be more frequent.

A pilot ladder will have distance markers throughout it's length (usually on the step wedges) to assist in rigging it at different drafts.

The length of pilot ladders is typically much shorter than an embarkation ladder since the maximum a pilot is allowed to climb is 9m. In climbs greater than this a combination rig must be used that uses a pilot ladder in conjunction with the ships accommodation ladder. For this reason pilot ladders are rarely longer than 12m long (which allows for them to extend at least 2m above the accommodation ladder lower platform as per SOLAS regulations). The rest of the pilot ladder is usually made up of rope tails with no rungs as these would be surplus to requirements. An embarkation ladder however needs to allow personnel to descend the whole distance from the boat deck to the waterline so will generally be much longer than a pilot ladder.

A pilot ladder must be long enough to reach the waterline when the vessel has an angle of list of 15 degrees whereas an embarkation ladder must reach the waterline when the list is 20 degrees.

Storage of Pilot Ladders and Embarkation Ladders

Because both pilot ladders and embarkation ladders are made of natural fibre they should be stored clear of the deck to prevent waterlogging or cargo contamination and be covered with a breathable, waterproof cover to protect against exposure to sea spray and sunlight.

Pilot ladders are specialized rope ladders designed for use onboard ships to facilitate the safe transfer of maritime pilots between the pilot boat and the vessel.
Choosing the right pilot ladder is essential to ensure the safety of both the pilot and the ship's crew during embarkation and disembarkation procedures.
Here are some key factors to consider when selecting a pilot ladder:

Material: Pilot ladders are typically constructed from either wood or synthetic materials like manila or high-strength polyester ropes with polypropylene cores. Wooden rungs offer a good grip but require more maintenance compared to synthetic rungs, which are lightweight, durable, and resistant to rot and mildew.

Length: The length of the pilot ladder should be sufficient to reach from the embarkation point on the ship to the water level under varying tide conditions. It's crucial to consider the maximum air draft (vertical distance between the waterline and the highest point on the ship) of your vessel.

Number of Rungs: The number of rungs on a pilot ladder typically falls between 12 and 30, depending on the overall length. Ensure the ladder has enough rungs to comfortably accommodate the expected distance between the ship and the water.

Spacing of Rungs: The rungs on a pilot ladder should be spaced at a standard distance of 330 millimeters (approximately 13 inches) to ensure proper foot placement and secure climbing.

Spreader Bars: Pilot ladders incorporate spreader bars at regular intervals along the rope sides. These spreader bars maintain equal spacing between the rungs and provide stability for the climber.

Working Load Limit: The pilot ladder you choose should have a working load limit exceeding the weight of the heaviest potential user and any equipment they might be carrying.