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Amaritime pilot,marine pilot,harbor pilot,port pilot,ship pilot, or simplypilot, is amariner who has specific knowledge of an often dangerous or congested waterway, such asharbors orriver mouths. Maritime pilots know local details such as depth, currents, and hazards. They board and temporarily join the crew to safely guide the ship's passage, so they must also have expertise in handling ships of all types and sizes. Obtaining the title "maritime pilot" requires being licensed or authorised by a recognised pilotage authority.
The wordpilot is believed to have come from theMiddle French,pilot,pillot, from Italian,pilota, fromLate Latin,pillottus; ultimately from Ancient Greek πηδόν (pēdón, "blade of an oar, oar").[2]
The work functions of the pilot can be traced back toAncient Greece andRome, when locally experiencedharbour captains, mainly localfishermen, were employed by incoming ships' captains to bring their trading vessels into port safely.[3]
Thepilot boat was made to quickly reach incoming ships from port. Harbor masters began to require licensing and insured pilots and placed regulations on incoming ships to bring pilots aboard.[3]
Inlandbrown water trade also relies on the work of pilots known astrip pilots. Due to the shortage of qualified posted masters, these independent contractors fill the holes in the manning schedule on inland push boats on various inland river routes.[4]
ASandy Hook pilot is a licensed maritime pilot for the Port of New York and New Jersey, the Hudson River, and Long Island Sound. Sandy Hook pilots have been piloting ships in the New York Harbor for over 300 years.[5] The pilots of New York and Boston first served onSquare rigs before entering the pilot service as boat keepers, later receiving their warrants as pilots, then their full commissions as branch pilots authorized to pilot vessels of anydraught size.
InEnglish law, by section 742 of theMerchant Shipping Act 1894 (57 & 58 Vict. c. 60), a pilot is defined as "any person not belonging to a ship who has the conduct thereof"—someone other than a member of the crew who has control over the speed, direction, and movement of the ship. ThePilotage Act 1987 governs the management of maritime pilots and pilotage in harbors in theUnited Kingdom.[6][7]
Pilots are required to have maritime experience prior to becoming a pilot, including local knowledge of the area. For example, theCalifornia Board of Pilot Commissioners requires that pilot trainees have a master's license, two years' command experience on tugs or deep draft vessels, and pass a written exam and simulator exercise, followed by a period of up to three years' training, gaining experience with different types of vessel and docking facilities. Following licensing, pilots are required to engage in continuing educational programs.[8]
Typically, the pilot joins an incoming ship prior to the ship's entry into the shallow water at the designated "pilot boarding area" viahelicopter orpilot boat and climbs apilot ladder, sometimes up to 40 feet (12 metres), to thedeck of the largestcontainer andtanker ships. Before climbing the pilot ladder, the pilot performs a visual inspection of the boarding arrangement to confirm it is safe to use and in accordance with international requirements.[9]
As both the ship to be piloted and the pilot's own vessel are usually moving this may be dangerous, especially in rough seas. With outgoing vessels, a pilot boat returns the pilot to land after the ship has successfully negotiated coastal waters.[10][11][12] Pilots are required by law in most major sea ports of the world for large ships.[13] Pilots usepilotage techniques that rely on nearby visual reference points and local knowledge oftides, swells,currents, depths andshoals that might not be readily identifiable onnautical charts without firsthand experience in certain waters.[14]
Legally, the master has full responsibility for the safe navigation of their vessel, even when 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 required to have a pilot on board, navigate the vessel without one. In every case, during the time passed aboard for operation, the pilot will remain under the master's authority, and always out of the "ship's command chain." The pilot remains aboard as an important and indispensable part of the bridge team.[15] Only in transit of thePanama Canal does the pilot have full responsibility for the navigation of the vessel.[16]
In some countries, deck officers of vessels who have strong local knowledge and experience of navigating in those ports, such as aferry or regular trader, may be issued with a pilotage exemption certificate, which relieves them of the need to take a pilot on board.[17][18]
In 2024, Denmark launched a pioneering initiative to explore the use of remote pilotage, marking a global first in the maritime industry. The program, overseen by national pilotage authority DanPilot in cooperation with maritime technology provider Danelec, allows pilots to guide vessels from a shore-based control center using real-time data.
The system transmits navigational information, radar feeds and sensor data from the vessel to a remote operations hub, enabling pilots to perform their duties without physically boarding the ship. This setup is currently being tested in the Western Baltic Sea, an area known for its traffic complexity and narrow transit routes.
The objective is to assess whether remote pilotage can offer a safe and effective alternative in specific scenarios, such as short transits or adverse weather, while maintaining the high safety standards required in traditional pilotage. The project has attracted international attention as a potential advancement in port efficiency, environmental sustainability, and pilot safety.[19][20]
The Florida Alliance of Maritime Organizations reported that Florida pilots' annual salaries range from US$100,000 to US$400,000, on par with other US states that have large ports.[21]Columbia River Bar Pilots earn approximately US$180,000 per year.[22] A 2008 review of pilot salaries in the United States showed that pay ranged from about US$250,000 to over US$500,000 per year.[23] TheSandy Hook Pilots Association inStaten Island,New York, has 50 employees across its locations and generates $7.15 million in sales (USD).[24]
Pilot compensation has been controversial in many ports, including theLos Angeles andLong Beach,California, especially in regard to pilots who are employed by public agencies instead of acting as independent contractors. Los Angeles pilots get $374,000 a year.[25][26]
Compensation varies in other nations. In New Zealand, according to the government career service, pilots earn NZ$90,000-120,000.[27]
The expert training, precise knowledge and practical experience required of pilots are therefore indispensable for navigating this river.
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