Pilot Ladder & Transfer Arrangements Inspection in United States of America.

Pilot ladder and transfer arrangements inspection

A pilot ladder inspection looks at the whole route a pilot takes between the pilot boat and the bridge: the ladder, its manropes, securing arrangements, winch reel, point of access, stanchions and bulwark ladder, lighting, lifebuoy, and any accommodation ladder used in a combination arrangement. A loose step, worn side rope or ladder secured to the wrong point can cause a fatal fall. IMPA’s 2025 safety campaign recorded 14% of transfers as non-compliant across more than 5,000 reports.

An independent inspection finds problems before a pilot or PSC officer does, and helps plan for the new IMO requirements applying from 2028.

Regulatory requirements and standards

The current framework is SOLAS regulation V/23, as revised by resolution MSC.308(88) for equipment installed on or after 1 July 2012, supported by resolution A.1045(27) on pilot transfer arrangements and the IMO/IMPA poster in MSC.1/Circ.1428/Rev.1. Many ladders are made and certified to ISO 799-1:2019, while ISO 799-2:2021 covers maintenance, use, survey and inspection and calls for a ladder and step attachment strength test at intervals of not more than 30 months.

In June 2025 the Maritime Safety Committee adopted amendments to SOLAS V/23 in resolution MSC.572(110) together with new mandatory Performance Standards for Pilot Transfer Arrangements, resolution MSC.576(110), entering into force on 1 January 2028. Arrangements installed on or after that date must comply with the design, construction and installation parts of the standards. For SOLAS ships, arrangements installed before 1 January 2028 must be verified against those parts no later than the first survey on or after 1 January 2029, while the operational, inspection and maintenance parts apply to all arrangements from 2028. The new standards invite the IMO Assembly to revoke A.1045(27). Key points include 48 kN marked strong points and shackles, intermediate-length securing, type-approved ladders and manropes, a spare set on board, and mandatory ladder retirement.

Inspection and replacement intervals

What the service includes

• Document review: ladder certificates, manufacture and in-service dates, maintenance plan, inspection log and previous PSC or pilot reports
• Ladder condition: side ropes, seizings, steps, spreader steps, rubber lower steps, step spacing and marking under the top step and lowest spreader
• Manropes, securing ropes and shackles, including diameter, condition and marked breaking strength
• Strong points: location, marking, weld condition and documentation, with reference to 48 kN requirements
• Point of access: clear opening, stanchions and sockets, bulwark ladder, handholds, deck lighting, lifebuoy with self-igniting light and heaving line
• Combination arrangements: accommodation ladder lower platform height, slope, platform securing, trapdoor or pilot ladder rigging
• Pilot ladder winch reels: foundation, brake, locking device, power cut-off and whether the reel is wrongly relied upon to carry load
• Gap analysis against MSC.576(110) for existing ships, with modification and procurement list

Equipment and arrangement types covered

Inspections cover rope pilot ladders with wooden or rubber steps, ladders on manual or powered winch reels, trapdoor and side-by-side combination arrangements, ship side doors and embarkation platforms. Each ladder is checked for traceability to its maker and approval. Accommodation ladder and winch components can be combined with gangway and accommodation ladder inspection in the same attendance.

Common defects and PSC deficiencies

• Ladder secured by its steps or spreaders, or to handrails and stanchions instead of strong points
• Worn, chafed or contaminated side ropes; broken, loose or missing steps; unauthorised step repairs
• Ladders with no verifiable manufacture date
• Combination arrangement not rigged when the climb exceeds 9 m, or lower platform too high above the water
• Winch reel supporting the ladder weight, with no brake or locking pin in use
• Poor lighting, missing lifebuoy or heaving line, and obstructed access at the bulwark

Certificates and documents you receive

You receive an inspection report covering each station, with photographs, measurements, a list of defects graded by urgency, and replacement specifications for ladders, manropes, shackles or fittings. Where requested, the report includes an MSC.576(110) gap assessment for the 2029 verification. The report does not replace the flag or class survey and the master remains responsible for every transfer.

How to prepare the vessel

• Make all ladders, spares, manropes, shackles and securing ropes available for inspection
• Provide drawings of port and starboard boarding stations and freeboard data
• Arrange for the ladder and, where fitted, the accommodation ladder to be rigged if berth conditions allow
• Prepare permits for work over the side, appoint a responsible officer, and have winch reels and accommodation ladders ready to operate

Information needed for a quotation

• Vessel name, IMO number, type, flag, class, and build or keel-laying date
• Port, berth or anchorage, and ETA/ETD
• Number of boarding stations and whether combination arrangements or side doors are used
• Ladder maker, length, manufacture date and certificates for each ladder and spare
• Winch reel make and type, if fitted
• Previous pilot or PSC findings and whether an MSC.576(110) gap assessment is required
• Any replacement ladders or fittings to be supplied during the call

vslSafety coordinates a suitable inspector or supplier at the vessel’s port and confirms scope and cost before attendance.

Frequently asked questions

How long can a pilot ladder stay in service?

Today the answer depends on maker instructions and the standard the ladder was certified to; ISO 799-2:2021 requires a strength test at intervals of not more than 30 months. From 1 January 2028, MSC.576(110) requires pilot ladders and manropes, including spares, to be removed from service within 36 months of manufacture or 30 months of being placed in service, whichever comes first, or earlier if they no longer comply. Recording the in-service date is therefore essential.

When is a combination arrangement required?

When the climb from the water to the point of access exceeds 9 m, an accommodation ladder must be used together with the pilot ladder. MSC.576(110) keeps the 9 m limit and requires a two-tone white and red mark near the boarding position on applicable ships, with the dividing line 9 m below the point of access, so crew and pilots can see when a combination arrangement must be rigged.

Do existing ships have to change their arrangements?

Possibly. For SOLAS ships, arrangements installed before 1 January 2028 must be verified against the new design, construction and installation parts no later than the first survey on or after 1 January 2029. Some ships will need new marked strong points, intermediate securing devices or winch reel changes; an early gap assessment lets work be planned for a yard period.

What strength must strong points and shackles have?

Under MSC.576(110), strong points, shackles and securing ropes used for pilot ladders must have a breaking strength of at least 48 kN, with the breaking strength or equivalent safe working load clearly and permanently marked and conformity documentation kept on board. If evidence is missing, arrange load testing and proof load services.

Can steps on a pilot ladder be repaired on board?

No. Under the new standards, repair or replacement of pilot ladder steps or spreader steps is prohibited under MSC.576(110). Seizings and securing devices may be repaired only where the maker’s instructions list the repair as permitted. A ladder with damaged steps should be withdrawn and replaced with a certified spare.