On Wednesday morning, the American warship “USS Gerald R. Ford” arrived in Indre Oslofjord, where it anchored. The ship is gigantic with a length of 333 metres, a height of 76 meters and a width of 78 metres. There are also two Norwegian pilots on board. They call this the most profound mission they have had. – Cruise vessels of the same size have been unloaded, but they have not gone as deep. So it is the depth that is the big challenge. The aircraft carrier stays marginally within the maximum depth in the sailing regulations for the Oslo Fjord, the pilots explain in a press release from the Coastal Administration. The aircraft carrier plunges 12 meters into the water. The clearance was only a few meters when the ship sailed through Drøbaksundet, the Olofjord’s shallowest point. There it is only 19 meters deep. There are many safety considerations to be taken when the world’s largest warship comes to Norway. The pilots must contribute to ensuring that maritime safety is well taken care of. The ship is the world’s largest warship and will be in port in Oslo for four days. Photo: news Finding a safe route It began with an inquiry to the Norwegian Coastal Administration’s pilot service about whether it is practically possible to take the large vessel into Oslo. – In the inquiry, they came up with a proposal for a route which we considered not to be deep enough, explains the pilots. They had to take many considerations into account. – Both regulations, dialogue with the sea traffic center in Horten, which ensures that the vessel is allowed to sail in, and towboats and other support vessels. – We gave our input and through dialogue we ended up with a route that both we in the pilot service and the vessel are satisfied with, they explain. For particularly demanding missions, the Pilot Service often uses simulators or VR aids to practice. In this case, the waters are not so demanding that it has been necessary. – As I said, it is the depth that is the challenge, but it is within the limitations set by the sailing regulations for the Oslo Fjord. Many special missions every year They emphasize that the more than 270 state pilots in the Norwegian Coastal Administration’s pilot service every year contribute to many special missions along the entire coast. – In such assignments, good cooperation is absolutely essential and then the pilot service is a key function, with both local knowledge of the sailing conditions and modern aids. Every year, Norwegian pilots have around 40,000 missions.
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Two Norwegian pilots ensure that the American warship enters the Oslofjord safely – news Oslo og Viken – Local news, TV and radio
