Thursday, December 10, 2009
What Is a Harbor Pilot?
When most people hear the word pilot they think of airlines and flying planes. Few people, outside the shipping industry, are aware of the specialized skills that state licensed harbor pilots bring to ships entering harbors throughout the United States. Most people who see ships entering port mistakenly believe that the ships captain is directing the vessel into harbor. This, however, is not the case. The responsibility of conning the huge vessels, in the extremely narrow confines of the channel falls squarly upon the shoulders of a specialist---the state licensed harbor pilot.
The harbor pilot is usually the first person of the United States to board all foreign flag vessels entering US waters. As such the state pilots’ first course of action will be to make a visual security assessment of the situation aboard the vessel. This assessment is absolutely critical as it occurs before a large vessel enters the port . When most people hear the word pilot they think of airlines and flying planes. Few people, outside the shipping industry, are aware of the specialized skills that state licensed harbor pilots bring to ships entering harbors throughout the United States. Most people who see ships entering port mistakenly believe that the ships captain is directing the vessel into harbor. This, however, is not the case. The responsibility of conning the huge vessels, in the extremely narrow confines of the channel falls squarly upon the shoulders of a specialist---the state licensed harbor pilot.
The harbor pilot is usually the first person of the United States to board all foreign flag vessels entering US waters. As such the state pilots’ first course of action will be to make a visual security assessment of the situation aboard the vessel. This assessment is absolutely critical as it occurs before a large vessel enters the port .
- Capt. Doug McAuliffe
The harbor pilot is usually the first person of the United States to board all foreign flag vessels entering US waters. As such the state pilots’ first course of action will be to make a visual security assessment of the situation aboard the vessel. This assessment is absolutely critical as it occurs before a large vessel enters the port . When most people hear the word pilot they think of airlines and flying planes. Few people, outside the shipping industry, are aware of the specialized skills that state licensed harbor pilots bring to ships entering harbors throughout the United States. Most people who see ships entering port mistakenly believe that the ships captain is directing the vessel into harbor. This, however, is not the case. The responsibility of conning the huge vessels, in the extremely narrow confines of the channel falls squarly upon the shoulders of a specialist---the state licensed harbor pilot.
The harbor pilot is usually the first person of the United States to board all foreign flag vessels entering US waters. As such the state pilots’ first course of action will be to make a visual security assessment of the situation aboard the vessel. This assessment is absolutely critical as it occurs before a large vessel enters the port .
- Capt. Doug McAuliffe
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