A pilot ladder is the only piece of equipment on a ship whose failure has essentially one outcome. There is no redundancy, no second chance and nobody standing by to catch anyone — a person is on a rope ladder, above moving water, between a launch and a hull, and if a step breaks or a securing point lets go the fall is into the gap between two vessels. Pilots have been killed and seriously injured this way, and the investigations keep finding the same handful of causes: ladders secured by the spreader step, shackles and knots substituted for proper construction, ladders rigged from a single point, steps chocked or replaced, and arrangements that had simply never been inspected by anyone who knew what to look for. The International Maritime Pilots’ Association has run an annual boarding-arrangement survey for years precisely because the defects persist. This guide covers the specification in numbers, when a combination arrangement is required and how its geometry works, correct rigging, the securing methods that are never acceptable, accommodation ladders, and an inspection regime that retires a ladder before it fails rather than after. Start a free trial of Marine Inspection to run boarding-arrangement checks with photo evidence before every pilotage.
SOLAS V/23 — resolution A.1045(27)
Every dimension on this ladder is a rule, and every one of them gets checked
A pilot ladder is not general-purpose equipment adapted for the job. It is a specified item with defined materials, dimensions and construction, and any departure from the specification is a defect rather than a variation.
StepsHardwood or equivalent, one piece, free of knots, non-slip surface
Side ropesTwo continuous ropes each side, manila or equivalent, uncoated
ClimbPilot ladder alone where the climb does not exceed 9 m
Beyond 9 mCombination arrangement with an accommodation ladder
AttendingResponsible officer, with communication to the bridge
The specification, and why each number exists
Steps in one piece, free of knots
A knot is a weak point in a piece of timber carrying a person’s whole weight on a wet, moving ladder. Steps are made in one piece for the same reason — a jointed or repaired step has an interface that can open under load.
Step spacing of 310 to 350 mm
Equal spacing lets a climber move without looking down. Irregular spacing — usually from a replaced step or a repair — breaks the rhythm at exactly the moment the climber is transferring from a moving launch.
Side ropes of 18 mm, 24 kN each
Two continuous ropes each side, uncoated so that deterioration is visible and the rope can be gripped. Coating hides the condition of the fibre underneath, which is the whole point of the requirement.
Spreaders of 1.8 m, every nine steps or less
Spreaders stop the ladder twisting. The lowest sits at the fifth step from the bottom, where twisting is worst and where a climber steps across from a launch.
Rubber only in the lowest four steps
The bottom of the ladder takes the impact of the launch. Rubber is permitted there and nowhere else, so rubber steps higher up are a defect and usually a sign of improvised repair.
Steps must rest firmly against the side
A ladder hanging clear of the hull, over a flare or across a rubbing band, swings and rolls with the climber on it. The rigging position is part of the arrangement, not a matter of convenience.
When a combination arrangement is required
Where the climb from the water to the point of access exceeds 9 metres, a pilot ladder alone is not acceptable and a combination arrangement with an accommodation ladder is used. Its geometry is specified, and the securing point above the platform is the detail most often got wrong.
Combination arrangement — the three dimensions that matter
Schematic, not to scale. The pilot ladder is secured 1,500 mm above the lower platform and extends at least 2 m below it; the accommodation ladder slope does not exceed 45° and its lower platform sits at least 5 m above sea level.
Rigging it correctly
1
Rig at the position shown in the arrangement plan. Clear of the ship’s side discharges, away from flare and rubbing bands, and at the freeboard the pilot has been given.
2
Secure the side ropes, never the steps or spreaders. The load path runs through the side ropes. Securing a ladder by a spreader step hangs the climber’s weight on a component that was never designed to carry it, and it has killed people.
3
Use strong points, and more than one. Secured to fixed strong points on deck, not to a single cleat, a handrail or something convenient.
4
Check the steps sit horizontal and against the hull. No twist, no step riding on a rubbing band, nothing holding the ladder off the side.
5
Rig man ropes only if the pilot asks for them. When rigged they are properly sized, secured at deck level, and reach the water — not tied off short or left slack across the ladder.
6
Lifebuoy with self-igniting light and a heaving line, ready at the position. Ready means within reach of the attending officer, not stowed nearby.
7
Light the ladder and the water beside it. The whole length of the ladder, the point of access and the sea surface where the launch comes alongside.
8
Provide safe access from the ladder to the deck. Bulwark ladder secured, stanchions and handholds in place, trapdoor arrangements clear and the opening protected.
9
Responsible officer in attendance throughout. With direct communication to the bridge, watching the transfer rather than doing something else nearby.
The securing failures that have killed pilots
These are not theoretical. Each has appeared in casualty reports. Securing by the spreader step — the ladder hangs from a component designed only to stop twist, and it fails without warning. Shackles, bulldog grips or knots used in place of proper construction — they concentrate load onto fibres never intended to carry it and cut the rope from inside. Rigging from a single point — no redundancy at all. Steps chocked, wedged or replaced with improvised material — a step that looks sound and is not. Ladder used beyond its life — ultraviolet and salt degrade manila from the inside, and a rope that looks acceptable can have lost most of its strength. If any of these is found, the arrangement is not rigged late, it is unusable, and the transfer does not proceed until it is corrected.
Check the arrangement before the pilot is alongside, not after
A boarding-arrangement check with photographs of the securing points, steps and lighting, completed before arrival and held per ship — so the officer attending knows the ladder was inspected and by whom.
Never acceptable, whatever the circumstances
Securing the ladder by a spreader step, or by any step
Shackles, bulldog grips, cable ties or knots substituted for proper construction
Side ropes joined, spliced mid-length or repaired to make up length
Steps chocked, wedged, painted over, or replaced with non-specified material
Rubber steps anywhere above the lowest four
A single securing point, or securing to handrails, cleats or non-structural fittings
Magnets or other improvised devices holding the ladder against the hull
The ladder rigged over a discharge, a flare, or across a rubbing band
Man ropes used to secure the ladder, or left tangled across it
A ladder with no certificate, no marking and no known date of manufacture
Accommodation ladders and gangways
Steps stay horizontal
Through the full range of movement. Self-levelling arrangements are checked through their travel, not just at the angle they happen to be rigged at.
The lower platform is horizontal and guarded
With stanchions and handrails on both sides. Pilots step from a moving launch onto that platform, and an unguarded edge is where the fall starts.
Falls, winches and stanchions
Wire condition against the discard criteria, winch brake tested, stanchion sockets sound. The ladder is a lifting appliance in everything but name and deserves the same inspection discipline.
Side ropes and the trapdoor
Where the pilot ladder passes through a trapdoor in the platform, the opening is clear, the hatch secured open, and the ladder free to hang without being deflected by the edge.
Securing the pilot ladder to the ship’s side
At 1,500 mm above the lower platform, to the ship’s side — not to the accommodation ladder structure, and not at whatever height the rigging happens to produce.
Load testing and certification
Accommodation ladders and gangways are tested and certificated, and from 2026 onboard lifting appliances sit under SOLAS II-1/3-13 with its own register and examination regime.
Inspection and rejection criteria
A pilot ladder is inspected before every use and examined properly on a regular cycle. Manila degrades from ultraviolet, salt and internal abrasion, so appearance alone is an unreliable guide and the ladder’s age matters.
Component
What to check
Reject or withdraw when
Side ropes
Surface condition, internal fibres, consistency of diameter, chafe at spreaders and steps, discolouration
Internal powdering when opened up; broken or brittle fibres; chafe, cuts, or any joint, splice or knot in the length
Steps
Cracks, splits, knots, wear, non-slip surface, horizontal alignment, spacing
Any cracked, split or missing step; knots in the timber; worn or absent non-slip surface; spacing outside 310 to 350 mm
Step securing
How the steps are held in position on the side ropes
Any shackle, grip, cable tie, nail or knot used to hold or replace a step
Spreader steps
Presence, length, spacing, condition, position of the lowest spreader
Missing, shorter than 1.8 m, more than nine steps apart, damaged, or being used as a securing point
Rubber steps
Position in the ladder, condition, bonding
Rubber steps above the lowest four; perished, split or loose rubber
Marking and certification
Manufacturer marking, certificate, date of manufacture, entry in the ship’s records
Unmarked, uncertificated, or of unknown age and origin
Securing arrangements on deck
Strong points, their attachment to structure, corrosion, number of points used
Corroded or deformed fittings; securing to handrails or non-structural items; only one point available
Man ropes
Diameter, condition, length, securing at deck
Undersized, worn, too short to reach the water, or secured to the ladder rather than independently
Access to deck
Bulwark ladder, stanchions, handholds, trapdoor and its securing
Bulwark ladder unsecured; stanchions loose or missing; handholds absent; trapdoor not secured open
Lighting and rescue equipment
Illumination of ladder, access point and sea surface; lifebuoy with light; heaving line
Any part of the arrangement unlit at night; lifebuoy or light missing or unserviceable
Inspection intervals and retirement
Before every use
Visual check of the whole ladder as rigged, the securing points, the access to deck, and the lighting. Carried out by the officer who will attend the transfer, so the person watching the climb is the person who checked the ladder.
Monthly, in daylight
Ladder laid out on deck and examined over its full length, including opening up the side ropes to look at internal fibre condition. A ladder examined only while rigged is only ever seen from one side.
After any heavy contact
A launch striking the ladder, or the ladder trapped between launch and hull, means a full examination before it is used again — damage to steps and side ropes is frequently invisible from the deck.
Record what was checked
With photographs. A boarding arrangement that a pilot questions is far easier to defend with a dated record of the last examination than with an account of what somebody remembers looking at.
Retire on age, not only on appearance
Natural fibre degrades internally from ultraviolet and salt. Track the date of manufacture and put the ladder out of service on the manufacturer’s life, regardless of how sound it looks from outside.
Destroy what you withdraw
A condemned ladder left in a locker returns to service within a year. Cut it up, log it, and confirm the replacement is certificated before the old one leaves the inventory.
13%
of boarding arrangements reported as non-compliant. The International Maritime Pilots’ Association’s 2026 safety campaign recorded 4,051 entries from members in 34 countries, with pilot ladder arrangements the leading source of non-compliant observations. The rate has improved slightly year on year — which still means roughly one boarding in eight presented a pilot with something wrong.
Frequently asked questions
01
What are the pilot ladder step dimensions?
Steps are not less than 400 mm between the side ropes, 115 mm wide and 25 mm deep excluding any non-slip device or grooving, made of hardwood or equivalent in one piece and free of knots, and spaced not less than 310 mm or more than 350 mm apart.
02
What are the side rope requirements?
Two continuous ropes on each side, not less than 18 mm in diameter, with a breaking strength of at least 24 kN per side rope, of manila or other material of equivalent strength, durability and elongation. They are uncoated so their condition can be seen and they can be gripped.
03
When is a combination arrangement required?
Where the climb from the water to the point of access exceeds 9 metres. The pilot ladder is then used with an accommodation ladder, and is secured to the ship’s side 1,500 mm above the lower platform.
04
Where do spreader steps go?
Not less than 1.8 m long, at intervals of not more than nine steps, with the lowest spreader at the fifth step from the bottom of the ladder. They prevent twisting — they are not securing points and must never be used as such.
05
Can a pilot ladder be repaired?
Not in any way that alters its construction. Side ropes are not joined, spliced mid-length or knotted, steps are not replaced with improvised material, and shackles, grips and cable ties are never used. A ladder needing that kind of attention is withdrawn and destroyed.
06
Are magnets acceptable for holding the ladder to the hull?
No. The arrangement is specified, and improvised devices holding the ladder against the side are not part of it. If the ladder will not sit against the hull at the rigging position, the position is wrong.
07
How often should a pilot ladder be inspected?
Visually before every use by the officer who will attend the transfer, and laid out and examined over its full length on a regular cycle — including the internal condition of the side ropes. Any heavy contact with a launch triggers a full examination before further use.
08
Who must attend the transfer?
A responsible officer, in attendance at the arrangement throughout, with a means of direct communication to the bridge. The role is to watch the transfer and stop it if anything is wrong, which means it cannot be combined with another task.
Nobody should discover a defect while a pilot is on the ladder
Pre-arrival boarding-arrangement checks against the specification, with photographs of the securing points, steps and lighting, and a ladder register that tracks age and retirement across the fleet.
