Why the UK's Largest Port Operator Chose Raymarine for Pilot Boat Navigation

Associated British Ports (ABP) is the UK's largest port operator, running 21 ports across England, Scotland, and Wales. Together, these ports support more than £150 billion of UK trade every year, keeping cargo, passengers, and commercial vessels moving safely and efficiently around the country's coastline.

The Challenge: Precision Navigation in High-Risk Waters

Pilotage is one of the most safety-critical operations in commercial shipping. ABP's pilot boats carry maritime pilots out to meet large vessels and bring them safely home again — often in tight, congested waters like the approaches to Cardiff, and often in poor visibility or rough weather. There's no room for guesswork: crews need instruments they can trust and read at a glance, every time.

ABP set out to standardise its pilot boats around a single design, working with Goodchild Marine on the build. The next step was to identify which navigation electronics solution could deliver the performance, ease of use, and fleet-wide consistency the job demanded.

Enhancing Safer Maritime Operations with ABP

The Solution: One Trusted System Across the Whole Fleet

After a thorough evaluation of marine navigation technologies, ABP selected Raymarine to equip its entire UK pilot boat fleet. The decision was driven by Raymarine’s reputation for:

• Radar clarity you can rely on for sharper situational awareness, day or night
• Simple, intuitive controls that let crews focus on the water, not the screen
• Rugged, weatherproof hardware engineered to withstand the toughest maritime conditions
• One system across every boat, so training and operations stay simple and consistent

“The integration of Raymarine systems on our pilot boats has significantly improved our operational efficiency and safety,” said Gareth Robins, Harbour Master for ABP Wales. “The ease of use and consistent interface across our fleet have been game-changing.”

The Result: Safer Transfers, Faster Training, Sharper Navigation

Since standardising on Raymarine, ABP has seen real, measurable gains:

• Less time spent training: crews move between boats without having to relearn the system
• Sharper navigation: better radar performance means fewer manual adjustments, even in poor visibility or heavy traffic
• Safer pilot transfers: real-time situational awareness helps crews approach and transfer with confidence

"The radar clarity from Raymarine is exceptional," added Tony Birr of Goodchild Marine. "It has made navigating in low visibility conditions much safer and more straightforward."

A New Standard in Pilot Boat Navigation

By integrating Raymarine technology across its pilot boat fleet, ABP has set a new standard for safe navigation, fleet interoperability, and operational excellence at sea.