Would you want a good, sound ladder to scale a two-to-four-story swaying building? The pilot wants at least as much when boarding your rolling ship in a seaway.
Be sure a clean pilot ladder meeting current IMO and USCG standards is properly rigged under the supervision of a licensed deck officer. This officer must visually and physically inspect the ladder as it is rigged and be in attendance while the pilot embarks or disembarks. Two seamen must also be on hand at these times. Use only a proper ladder, reserved for use as a pilot ladder, that is made up so that:
1. The rungs are of one piece hardwood. (That often-used chain affair should be thrown over the side.)
2. The bottom four rungs are of reinforced hard rubber.
3. The rungs have a nonskid surface.
4. Rungs are at least 19 inches long, 4 inches deep, and 1 inch thick.
5. The ladder is hung by single lengths of manila or prestretched (low stretch) Dacron.
6. There is a clear space 16 to 19 inches between the lines across each rung.
7. There are 12 to 15 inches between the rungs.
Have a heaving line available to handle the pilot's bag (it may contain your mail, so handle the bag with care!) and a life ring with waterlight. Maintain communications by hand held radio's between the pilot ladder and the bridge when the pilot is boarding or leaving. Keep the ladder and the deck area at the head of the ladder well lighted. Place a light aft but near the ladder so it illuminates the ladder without blinding the pilot boat operator.
Coming aboard on a winter night is dangerous enough without having to use an iced-up ladder. Keep the ladder on deck in icy weather and put it over the side only when the pilot boat is alongside.
Spreaders are required if there are more than nine rungs in the ladder, to keep the ladder from twisting. These spreaders must be at least 70 inches long, placed at intervals not exceeding nine rungs apart, and be secured behind and in line with rungs.
The maximum distance that a pilot should have to climb is 9 meters (30 feet), and an accommodation ladder must be used in conjunction with the ladder when the distance from the water to the deck exceeds that amount. Lash the accommodation ladder tight alongside the ship with the frapping line. This is line is often forgotten,
leaving the accommodation ladder free to swing away from the hull as the ship rolls in a swell at the pilot station. The frapping line also holds the accommodation ladder alongside when the ship has a small list and, since the pilot ladder is lashed to the accommodation ladder, this in turn minimizes the amount the long pilot ladder is free to swing.
The access to the deck must be either through an opening in the bulwark or over the rail using stanchions at least 40 inches high secured into the bulwark together with a sturdy set of steps down to the deck. Too many pilots have been needlessly hurt trying to climb over the rail or gunwale.
Rig manropes alongside the ladder. Not all pilots use the manropes, but they should be available to assist a pilot in transferring safely from ship to launch. Have the manropes and ladder rigged well above the water so they clear the deck of the launch lying alongside. A ladder lying on the launch's deck may trap and injure the pilot, while a ladder lying between the launch and the ship's hull may be pulled down from the ship by the pitching launch.
If a pilot hoist is used be sure a conventional ladder is also rigged alongside and available. Many pilots have had enough bad experiences with these hoists that they refuse to use them, and even if the hoist is used, the ladder must be available in case a problem develops.
