Insights
Practical thinking from our leadership team on pilotage, incident investigation, human factors, and operational performance. We share the perspectives that inform our advisory work, grounded in decades of frontline maritime experience.
Latest Insights
Two portable pilot units are not a backup, they are a duplicate. Captain Matt Shirley on how we assess what a port actually depends on, what happens when it lies, and why the answer is worth more than it costs.
Read articleCraig Eastaugh and Marco Blanco on their AMPI Adelaide talk - why safety is about capacity, not just compliance, and how the FORCE principles help teams meet what the rulebook cannot predict.
Read articleSpeaking at the New Zealand Maritime Pilots Association Conference in Tauranga, Marco Blanco explored why capable bridge teams stay silent at critical moments, and what pilots can do about it.
Read articleMarco Blanco reports from the New Zealand Maritime Pilots Association Conference, where the direction of travel was clear: from compliance to culture, and from judgement to data-supported decisions.
Read articleAfter the Solong and Stena Immaculate allision, Matt Shirley on how AI could sharpen situational awareness at sea - and the cost, regulatory, and human questions it raises.
Read articleMatt Shirley on why real readiness is more than a compliance checkbox - and how high-reliability thinking, scenario training, and psychological safety prepare teams to catch the tennis ball.
Read articleTens of thousands of seafarers were trapped aboard during Covid-19. Matt Shirley on the hidden mental health crisis at sea, and why wellbeing must be integral to safe operations.
Read articleThirty years on from the Iron Baron grounding, Matt Shirley on how Bridge Resource Management became a silent Australian safety standard - and why we must keep it evolving.
Read articleMatt Shirley reports from the Australasian Marine Pilots Institute conference in Adelaide - modernising pilotage, resilience over compliance, and the human element behind future-ready pilotage.
Read articleCaptain Matt Shirley and Captain Dana A. Goward on the growing danger of GPS interference at sea and in ports, and the practical path to engineered positioning resilience.
Read articleReflections from the PNT 2026 conference. Matt Shirley on why resilient positioning, navigation and timing is about layers, diversity and trust.
Read articleThey move billions of tonnes a year, yet remain among the most vulnerable ships afloat. Matt Shirley on why bulk carrier safety is a system’s challenge.
Read articleIn high-reliability industries like pilotage, redundancy isn’t waste. Matt Shirley on the back-ups that stop a bad day becoming a catastrophic one.
Read articleMatt Shirley reflects on the Maritime SheEO Conference in Mumbai - and why the future of maritime sustainability isn’t only green, it’s human.
Read articleHow communication, workload, and shared mental models shape safe outcomes on the bridge and in the port.
Read articlePositioning, navigation and timing quietly underpin modern life. Matt Shirley on why that reliance is fragile - and how Australia can build resilience.
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Our leadership team regularly speaks at industry conferences and shares practical perspectives on pilotage, risk, human factors, and operational performance. Subscribe to receive new insights by email, follow Safe Harbours Australia on LinkedIn for our latest thinking, or contact us directly to discuss a specific challenge.
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