Insurance Jottings

Press Article: Standard Club expert tackles P&I’s US$1.8bn pilot problem

02 April 2021

John Dolan, Deputy Director of Loss Prevention, is helping protection and indemnity insurers to reduce the mounting cost of pilot-related claims.

Mr Dolan heads the International Group of P&I Clubs’ working group on pilot safety, which has become a key focus after a review revealed that such incidents have cost P&I Insurers US$1.8 billion over 20 years.

The issue has been cast into the spotlight by the grounding of the 20,388-teu Ever Given (built 2018) in the Suez Canal. The containership had two pilots on board at the time. An investigation is being held into the cause of the incident.

Mr Dolan, a former master mariner with an extensive career in ship management, said there have been long-running issues around communication between the pilot and the bridge crew, which can begin the moment the pilot comes aboard.

“The type of interaction between the pilot and the bridge is of critical importance, as is the sharing of information when the pilot comes on board,” he said.

Read the full article in Tradewinds here.

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