Recently experienced pilot complains regarding pilot ladder on one of vessels. What are requirements for the ladder?
Pilots have the right to decline to board vessels offering defective ladders, which can result in serious delay. Pilots are also entitled to report defects in boarding ladders to port state control authorities, which could lead to a full PSC inspection with the risk of delay and financial penalties. Furthermore, deficiencies with regard to boarding arrangements and unsafe rigging of pilot ladders continue to be detected during port state control inspections, resulting in delays and financial penalties for the ship operator.
The side ropes of the pilot ladder should consist of two uncovered ropes not less than 18 mm in diameter on each side and should be continuous, with no joints and have a breaking strength of at least 24 Kilo Newtons per side rope. The two side ropes should each consist of one continuous length of rope, the midpoint half-length being located on a thimble large enough to accommodate at least two passes of side rope.
In addition to the above:
- A pilot ladder shall, to prevent twisting, be fitted with battens.
- The lowest batten shall be the 5th step from the lower end of the pilot ladder.
- Further battens upwards on the pilot ladder should be fixed at intervals not exceeding 9 steps.
