QUALITY YOU CAN TRUST

PILOT LADDERS AND
EMBARKATION LADDERS

Certified pilot and embarkation ladders with composite steps and synthetic side ropes. Up to 50% lighter then taditional designed ladders because of virtually no water uptake. Can be unrigged by one or two crew members. MED and US Coast Guard approved and ready for the new SOLAS V/23 rules.

Pilot ladders, ISO 799-1

2-25 M

Embarkation ladders, ISO 5489

2-45 M

MED + USCG

Notified body 0474

New SOLAS pilot ladder rules from 1 January 2028: what to do now

New SOLAS pilot ladder rules from 1 January 2028: what shipowners need to do

In June 2025 the IMO adopted amendments to SOLAS regulation V/23 (resolution MSC.572(110)) together with new mandatory Performance Standards for pilot transfer arrangements (MSC.576(110)). What used to be guidance becomes law, and part of it applies to every ship, however old its pilot transfer arrangements are.

What changes for the pilot ladder

The points that will be checked first during surveys and port state control inspections.

Action plan for shipowners

Start now. The 36-month limit runs from the date of manufacture, so a ladder bought too early loses service life on the shelf.

Take stock of every ladder
Record manufacture date, in-service date and approval for each pilot ladder, spare and set of manropes, per ship.

Plan a replacement cycle
Count on a new pilot ladder about every 30 months per boarding station, plus the spare. Spread purchases so ladders do not age in storage.

Check strong points and shackles for 48 kN
Verify breaking strength, marking and documentation. Plan any deck work for a scheduled yard stay before the first survey after 1 January 2029.

Add a means of securing at intermediate lengths
Replace improvised solutions with a type-approved device that grips both side ropes.

Update the maintenance plan
Add the pre-use, post-use and three-monthly inspection checklists, and log service and withdrawal dates.

Familiarise the crew
Everyone who inspects, rigs or maintains pilot transfer arrangements needs onboard familiarisation.

Buy type-approved, traceable ladders
Source from the original manufacturer with full certificates. Counterfeit and re-used expired ladders are a known risk.

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And the embarkation ladder?

The 2028 SOLAS V/23 changes cover pilot transfer arrangements, not the embarkation ladders required under SOLAS chapter III. Embarkation ladders have no fixed 36-month service life, which makes durability a direct cost factor: a ladder that resists damage stays in service longer.

Do check that new embarkation ladders follow the current ISO 5489:2024 and carry MED approval. Revised IMO guidelines for means of embarkation and disembarkation, effective 1 July 2026, require crew to wear lifejackets and safety harnesses when rigging ladders and gangways; a lighter ladder that one or two crew can handle makes that safer and quicker.

How Ambtman Marine helps

Type-approved pilot and embarkation ladders with complete documentation
A ladder register per ship, with expiry dates and inspection reminders
Support with checking and upgrading strong points to
48 kN
Answers to your compliance questions, ship by ship

Build your model code

Why a synthetic pilot ladder outperforms wood

Composite steps and synthetic side ropes change how a pilot ladder or embarkation ladder handles on board. Less weight to lift, no water to carry, fewer hands needed, and profiled steps that drain water instead of turning slippery like wet timber.

Composite pilot ladder and embarkation ladder

Both ladders share the same construction: marine-grade stainless steel thimbles, synthetic side ropes that keep more than 24 kN breaking strength after ageing, aluminium clamps and composite steps. Manufactured in the EU and supplied worldwide by Ambtman Marine from Groningen, the Netherlands.

Pilot ladder construction details

The details surveyors, pilots and crews check first. The same construction is used on every pilot ladder and embarkation ladder.

Thimble and clamp

Marine-grade stainless thimble. The aluminium clamp holds the side rope firmly without damaging it.

Meter marking

Permanent, high-visibility marking every metre, as required under
SOLAS V/23.

The profile drains water for a sure footing. No rot, no cracking, under 1% water absorption.

Profiled composite steps

Shackled securing rope

Where more than 3 m of securing
rope is needed, a Ø28 mm rope is shackled on.

Available lengths

Pilot ladders from 2 to 25 metres and embarkation ladders from 2 to 45 metres, in steps of one metre. Add E3 to any code for a 3 m extension rope at the top.