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Puget Sound Pilots members are called upon to navigate a wide variety of vessels, and they continually train in order to ensure they have the skills to handle new vessels and evolving technology. Over the last 30 years, ships have grown in size and complexity as shipping companies seek to reduce transportation costs. For example, in 1975 the container ships commissioned by Evergreen Shipping held 646 twenty-foot containers. Today, the Evergreen Sigma class ships calling in Tacoma can carry over 7,000. Even larger ships are on the drawing board, and experts predict that within the next ten years, Puget Sound ports could host mammoth container ships ΒΌ mile long, capable of carrying 15,000 20-foot containers - cargo that laid end-to-end would stretch 56 miles. Larger ships are more difficult to maneuver and stop. With the prospect of container ships that carry over 20 times more cargo than they did 30 years ago, the ship-handling skills and expertise of marine pilots have become even more critical to ensuring the safe transit of vessels through Puget Sound and adjacent waterways. As part of an effort to enhance marine safety, the pilot training program is being augmented to ensure that our pilots can safely navigate these mega-ships through Puget Sound's narrow and congested waterways. At the same time, we continue to work with port districts during the design process to ensure that ports can safely host larger ships in the future. |
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