Pilotage and mooring is teamwork
At Brabo, ambitious boatmen can become harbour pilot if they want to, and with a bit of luck even board member! A unique approach with multiple benefits for all parties involved within the company, but also for the port in the broadest sense.
Everyone is given a chance to start at Brabo, even if they have no prior maritime experience. As boatmen, they enter the fascinating world of the port and gain access to practical training courses and career opportunities.
The job of …
A boatman: safely mooring and unmooring ships.
The work of a boatman essentially consists of the smooth and safe mooring and unmooring of ships. With the help of tailor-made motorboats and winch trucks, the boatmen take the mooring ropes from the ship’s crew and make sure the ship is safely secured or released. A good team of boatmen makes sure that the pilot and captain can carry out their work without any worries and that the ship is moored without damage: they are experienced professionals, everything will be all right.
A pilot: safely bringing ships from lock to berth and back.
In theory, the pilot advises the captain in order to guide the ship safely from lock to berth or vice versa. In practice, the pilot directs the manoeuvres. Sea captains can navigate at sea, but manoeuvring is different in each port. For this, they need assistance from someone with knowledge of the local situation. Someone who also speaks the language of the locksmen, bridge operators, tugmasters and captains of inland vessels, etc.
The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Mooring is teamwork. It is a major plus that the Brabo team consists of both boatmen and pilot. Everyone knows everyone. This leads to better mutual understanding, trust and respectful cooperation. As a former boatman, the pilot knows what mooring is all about.
