From a pilotage trip to predictions

Together with Fenna Miedema, my fellow data scientist at Port of Amsterdam, we went on a pilotage trip. We are working on a project to predict shipping traffic, focusing on the arrival and departure times of large seagoing vessels. If we can predict these accurately, we can optimise our services and, among other things, reduce delays in the harbour. We were invited along on the trip to learn more about how it all works. 

No project without domain knowledge

At 11 o’clock, we boarded the pilot boat in IJmijden to help pilot several ships on the North Sea (by bringing a pilot to each ship). This was no pilotage trip for beginners: together with pilot Tobias, we boarded the Grande Pearl, a 200m-long seagoing vessel that transports vehicles (cars, excavators etc.). ‘Just stepping aboard’ meant climbing a 2m pilot ladder from the pilot boat in the middle of the North Sea. Piece of cake, 0 nerves 😉 Fortunately, the Grande Pearl was well loaded, or we would have had quite a bit further to climb.  

Safely into the harbour

Once everyone was safely aboard, we could head for the harbour. We travelled for over 3 hours before reaching the berth. We saw up close how the pilot guided the seagoing vessel safely through the lock and along the North Sea Canal (which can get quite busy with all kinds of vessels), and how he directed the tugboats to dock safely at the berth.

We learned a great deal about a pilot’s work and the nautical process in general. The next step is a proof of concept for the predictive model that we and our domain experts believe will add the most value. More on that later.

 
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