Maritime Pilots

A maritime pilot, also known as a marine pilot, harbor pilot or bar pilot and sometimes simply called a pilot, is a sailor who maneuvers ships through dangerous or congested waters, such as harbors or river mouths. They are highly experienced shiphandlers possessing detailed knowledge of the particular waterway, e.g. actual depth, direction and strength of the wind, current and tide at any time of the day. The pilot is a navigational expert for the port of call.

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Pilotage is one of the oldest professions, as old as sea travel, and it is one of the most important in maritime safety. The oldest recorded history dates back to about the 7th century BC. The economic and environmental risk from large cargo ships makes the role of the pilot essential.
Maneuvering a ship through the shallow water to berth / unberth in a port requires teamwork which involves, apart from the port pilot, the ship’s captain (jointly responsible), ship’s crew, port tugs, and shore linesmen. Since the pilot is on board the ship, they control the tugs and linesmen through a radio, and the ship directly. The ship’s captain ensures their crew carry out the pilot’s orders.

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Pilotes Maritimes

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High skill is required to be a pilot as the channels through which the ships move towards the port are normally too narrow and shallow for the size of the ships, with the stopping distance of the ships being only a few nautical miles and the fact that ships do not steer at slow speed. Even if a ship captain is a regular visitor to a certain port, they can not match the expertise and experience of the pilot.
Legally, the master has full responsibility for safe navigation of their vessel, even if a pilot is on board. If they have clear grounds that the pilot may jeopardize the safety of navigation, they can relieve the pilot from their duties and ask for another pilot or, if not compulsory to have a pilot on board, navigate the vessel without one. Only in transit of the Panama Canal and in Canada does the pilot have the full responsibility for the navigation of the vessel.