We would like to inform Your Club/Members about the situation which has formed nowadays with the pilotage in the port of Novorossiysk.

Previously pilotage was performed in the port of Novorossiysk by the Organization of Independent Pilots. Since this year all piloting operations have been and will be conducted by the State Pilots' Service, which operates under aegis of Marine Administration of Novorossiysk port.

Recently, particularly, for the last few month, a number of averages while vessels' mooring has rapidly increased. This in the long run leads to vessels' detaining in the port and their further arrest until a financial security is received by the authorities and as a consequence to direct losses of shipowners. We would like to touch upon a number of incidents, which resulted in damage to piers of the Novorossiysk Oil Terminal (Sheskharis). The Harbour Master always holds an investigation of every particular average, moreover, when a vessel contacts fenders of the piers and suffers even insignificant damage, Harbour Master demands compulsory examination of damages to the vessel to be performed by a Class Surveyor. It takes more than 24 hours to arrange such an inspection and that is a rather long delay. As a rule, in the course of the investigation the Harbour Master tries to catch hold of every possible oversight or neglect on the part of the vessel and emphasizes them in the formal conclusion, going by the principal to save the reputation of the Pilot Service, which is presently under the Harbour Master's control.

With respect to the above we would like to give several recommendations to the Members who, we think, are to instruct their Masters accordingly.

1.      Upon coming of the pilot on board and before his starting the pilotage the Master shall ascertain the pilot’s competency and ability to meet the obligations of controlling the vessel (we dealt with a case when the pilot was drunk during the mooring operations).

2.      Upon picking up the pilot the Master shall in full volume familiarize him with maneuvering elements of the vessel and hand him over a pilot card against the signature.

3.      Before commencement of maneuvering the following shall be discussed: the scheme of mooring and scheme of vessel's approaching the pier, possibility of dropping the anchors and i.e.

4.      The Master shall make the following records in the log book: the pilot's name, names of tug boats, coordinating of the mooring scheme, weather conditions, pilot's actions, which raised Master's doubts.

5.      Before commencement of maneuvering the Master shall check operation condition of all the navigating devices, especially, the course and reverse recorders.

6.      The Master shall make careful records in the bell book, reflecting all the pilot's orders and tug boats' actions while mooring operations.

7.      The Master shall beforehand instruct the officers, who are on duty on aft and fore while mooring operations, about the scheme of mooring, i.e. The said briefing shall be reflected in the log book.

8.      As the pilot is dealing with/ordering the tugs in the Russian language, the Master shall request him to translate all the given orders, so that he could properly evaluate the situation.