Combination Ladder

A combination ladder is a pilot boarding arrangement in which a conventional rope pilot ladder is rigged below an accommodation ladder (or similar rigid stairway) to enable a pilot to transfer safely between a vessel at sea and a pilot boat when the height difference between the water and the lowest platform of the accommodation ladder is significant. SOLAS V/23 mandates the use of a combination arrangement when the freeboard exceeds a defined threshold — presently set so that the pilot ladder provides the lower section in direct contact with the pilot boat's gunwale, while the accommodation ladder provides access from the pilot ladder platform to the ship's deck. The combination arrangement requires specific rigging: the pilot ladder must extend below the bottom platform of the accommodation ladder by a defined number of rungs, both structures must be secured to the ship's side, and the angle of the accommodation ladder must not be excessive. An officer and crew member must attend the embarkation point. Port state control officers regularly find combination ladder rigging to be non-compliant with SOLAS V/23 requirements, making it one of the most common detainable deficiencies in pilot transfer equipment. IMPA (International Maritime Pilots' Association) publishes guidance on correct rigging to supplement the SOLAS text.