Role Of Pilot In Ships

We all drive a car and we know how easy it is to steer. For some, it may be a passion and pleasure. But steering a ship is always a risky and dangerous operation. Some may say it as passion but it invites more trouble unlike a car. It is easy to stop a car immediately what ever speed you may drive. But it is not the case with ships. Read here to know about the difficulties in steering a ship and know about a maritime pilot, who is an expert in manoeuvring these ships enabling them to reach port.

A Pilot is usually an experienced mariner or a Master Mariner, who helps in guiding the ship through dangerous, shallow, and congested waters enabling the ship to reach port. One might wonder what could be the need for guiding a ship through dangerous waters to reach a port. Let us now understand the vessels characteristics matched with the water and ocean currents, tides, waves and depths of sea bed.

 We all know about the oceans, continental shelves, and the sea bed. If we measure the depth of sea from beaches in shore, it continuously increases as we proceed away from the shore. In deep oceans the depth may be of the order of thousands of meters below mean sea level. Ships do not encounter any problems in the middle of the oceans as the depth of water is so huge. But as they approach shore, the depth keeps on reducing and sometimes it may be shallow that the ships cannot transit through. Thus due to the shallow depths, the ships cannot come inside ports and deliver cargo. As the cargo is loaded, the ship sinks more and her draft increases. To navigate inside a port with such a great draft, there is always a threat for grounding. Also it is not possible for any Captain to get familiar with the port depth conditions of all the ports in the world. It is also to be noted that the size and the mass of huge ships make it difficult for manoeuvring. The distance of stoppage of these huge ships like super tankers are in miles. Thus every port decided to train and employ their own people as Pilot, thus enabling the ships to reach port without any difficulty. As said earlier, a Pilot is one who is highly experienced and skilled with a better understanding of the port waters on which he is employed. But for all legal aspects, The Master or The Captain remains in command and The Pilot is considered to be a senior adviser.

 The word "pilot" comes from the Latin word “pilota”, meaning “ores”. Earlier when ores where used for propulsion, it is also used for changing directions. Thus the word “pilota” was adopted and coined as “pilot”. Being a pilot for any port, is one of the oldest and least known profession in the world. The system of pilot and pilotage are very common which was into existence, right from the day when cargo is transported by sea. But earlier, locally experienced harbour captains became pilots and there are records where local fisherman were being appointed as pilots.