Maritime pilots provide a valuable service to the safety of broader maritime enterprise. This podcast explores their functions and what their role is in shepherding huge ships safely to dock and then back out to sea. The guest, Captain Eric Von Brandenfels is an experienced mariner and Puget Sound Pilot. He learned to sail at an early age and worked a tugboat job in high school. He stayed on tugs before joining the Puget Sound Pilots in 1995.  He is a Past President, 2017-2021, and is now back to piloting ships and doing information outreach. He is married with two grown children.

He is quoted in several places in this recent Politico Article, A Disaster the Size of Multiple Katrinas Is Building Off Washington’s Coast This concerns the Cascadia Subduction Earthquake and its potential impacts to maritime assets that are designed to be of help in a disaster and not become victims themselves. This episode is sponsored by Bent Ear Solutions which offers comprehensive capabilities and deep industry knowledge necessary to help you solve the most complex issues of your organization. We advise public and private organizations on an all-inclusive approach to disaster preparedness that addresses governance, planning, operational procedures, technology implementation, training, and exercises in order to achieve a successful and sustainable program.


Eric Holdeman is a professional emergency manager who is passionate about providing information that can help families, businesses & governments become better prepared for disasters of all types. Hear first hand expert insights from Eric on his Podcast, Blog & EricHoldeman.com.