The Founder's Mission
BUILT BY A PILOT, FOR PILOTS.
About LadderWatch
Pilots spend years navigating huge ships through crowded, turbulent, and in my case, ice filled waters. And for most of us, that isn't the riskiest part of our job. It's the commute.
I’m Captain Jill Russell, a USCG-licensed Master and Alaska state-licensed marine pilot. I’ve worked the waters of Southeast Alaska for over three decades, and I’ve been boarding vessels as a pilot since 2015.
And in that time, I’ve learned something that isn't obvious from the outside:
The danger isn’t stepping onto the ladder. It’s not knowing whether that ladder is safe.
The Problem No One Sees
A pilot ladder is governed by strict international standards, primarily under SOLAS V/23, but there are many other rules and regulations. On paper, every ladder should be safe.
In reality, that is not always the case. The greatest risk often comes from small, preventable issues such as incorrect rigging, improper securing, or subtle configuration errors that are hard to detect while moving at night.
These are rarely the result of negligence. More often, they come from lack of awareness, fatigue, or inconsistent training onboard vessels.
According to the International Maritime Pilots’ Association (IMPA), at least 14% of ladders inspected were non-compliant or deficient. Many pilots will tell you that number feels low. And even minor deficiencies can lead to serious injury.
Every pilot has the authority to refuse an unsafe ladder. But in practice, that decision comes with pressure: operational, commercial, and sometimes personal.
At 0200, in the dark of night, with a job waiting, it’s not always easy to see, or to prove, what’s wrong.
Why LadderWatch Exists
Over the years, I’ve known pilots who had close calls or were even forced to medically retire after ladder-related injuries.
According to reports from the American P&I Club and other industry groups, harbor pilots worldwide experience an average of two to three fatalities per year as a direct result of transfer accidents. This means that over a typical five-year period, the industry suffers roughly 10 to 15 pilot deaths globally.
Why is this happening? The standards governing the construction, maintenance and rigging of pilot ladder already exist.
What’s been missing are the tools to consistently apply and enforce those standards. LadderWatch was built to close that gap.
What LadderWatch Does
Vessel History
Search any vessel by IMO number and review its pilot transfer arrangement history across participating pilot organizations.
Fast, Structured Hands-Free Reporting
Capture deficiencies in under two minutes: by voice, from the pilot boat, in any conditions. The system translates observations into structured, standardized reports.
Reference Library
Immediate access to governing standards, including: SOLAS requirements, IMO resolutions, USCG policy, and ISO standards.
Association-Level Tools (Phase 2)
Automated reporting for licensing boards and safety committees. Deficiency notifications to future ports of call. Data-driven insights for pilot organizations.
Photo-Based Evaluation (In Development)
In partnership with university researchers, LadderWatch is developing computer vision tools to assess ladder compliance from images, bringing objective validation to what has traditionally relied on human judgment.
Training Platform (Planned)
Real-world, data-driven training modules to help pilots recognize risks before they step onto the ladder.
What Makes LadderWatch Different
LadderWatch isn’t another form to fill out. It’s built for the moment decisions actually happen, such as during the approach, while in motion, in low visibility, or under extreme pressure.
Voice-driven input allows pilots to document conditions quickly and accurately, without interrupting the boarding process.
More importantly, it creates documentation, giving pilots the backing they need to call out deficiencies or refuse unsafe arrangements when necessary.
Why This Matters Now
Regulatory updates to SOLAS V/23 are coming into force in 2028, increasing focus on pilot transfer safety. That’s a step forward.
But regulations alone don’t change outcomes unless they are consistently enforced. Without visibility, accountability, and shared data across ports and organizations, unsafe practices persist.
LadderWatch is designed to support that shift by making it easier to identify non-compliant ladders, document them clearly, and share that information across the entire system.
The Goal
In an ideal future, LadderWatch wouldn’t be necessary. Every ladder would be rigged correctly. Every transfer would be safe. Every standard would be followed.
Until then, the goal is simple: Give pilots the tools they need to make informed decisions and to stand behind them.
About the Founder
Captain Jill Russell is a Southeast Alaska marine pilot, USCG-licensed Master, and Alaska state-licensed pilot with 40 years of maritime experience.
She has served on training and examination committees within her pilot group and has been a USCG-approved instructor for three decades, with a focus on safety and training. She is also the developer of PilotCheck Pro and Nav Numbers, tools built to support working pilots in real-world conditions.
LadderWatch is her next step in advancing safety where it matters most.
LadderWatch
A Step Ahead
Patent Pending