From the bridge
RSSPractical maritime compliance.
Plain-English writing for commercial operators — USCG rules, Sub M, STCW, cyber, and the free tools we built along the way. No regulatory fog. No SEO filler.
Retiring the VHF Paper Board: Moving a Pilots Association to a Digital Dispatch Log
Why the VHF-plus-paper-board breaks on busy days, what a digital dispatch log fixes, and a change-management path that never puts the watch at risk.
How to Choose Dispatch Software for a Marine Pilots Association: A Buyer's Guide
What a pilots association should actually evaluate in dispatch software — AIS model, ETA accuracy, safety stack, rotation equity, billing, and the red flags to walk away from.
Pilot Dispatch Software: What Modern Pilots Associations Actually Need
Most pilots associations still coordinate dispatch over VHF and paper boards. Here's what a purpose-built dispatch board does differently — area AIS, ETA to the boarding point, collision alerts, and a transit log that feeds billing.
Compulsory Pilotage Under 46 USC 8501: What the Law Actually Requires
46 USC 8501 puts pilotage on state-licensed pilots for most foreign and registered vessels in U.S. waters. Here's how the federal statute, state pilotage law, and the coastwise exemption fit together — and who is actually required to take a pilot.