Dutch Tugboat Operator Testing Drones for Safer Ship Escorts
A Netherlands-based towing company is developing an aerial drone that can deliver a messenger line from a tugboat to the ship being escorted, allowing the tug and its crew to stay out of the danger zone around the hull.
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In the United States, drone use is governed by separate federal entities. When a drone is on a vessel, it is regulated by the U.S. Coast Guard, according to Sean Pribyl, an attorney who specializes in maritime issues for Blank Rome in Washington, D.C. But when the drone takes off, it has to follow Federal Aviation Administration rules.
“Now you have this unique intersection of the aviation and maritime industries,” Pribyl said. “There are a number of layers that an operator has to understand.”
That factor may be a sticking point in the United States for maritime drone applications. “It can be difficult for a maritime operator who has not had experience with aviation,” Pribyl said. “That involves a new layer of complexity that may discourage an operator from taking the next step to see if it adds value.”
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"Dutch Tugboat Operator Testing Drones for Safer Ship Escorts," by David A. Tyler was published in Professional Mariner on March 30, 2018.