PilotageThe Pilot

The pilots’ work is essential to the safety of sea vessels, their sailors, and also for the environment

The duty of the Pilots is to primarily assure good and safe navigation practices for vessels by assisting the ship’s captain, especially in restrictive waters that require a detailed and updated knowledge of all the particular local conditions, such as currents and tide changes, floating and stationary dangerous objects, wind directions, amongst many other factors. It is a job that is essential to the safety of the seafarers, to ships and cargoes, to the environment, for entering channels and ports, and therefore to the economy of the country. Pilots give technical assistance for the development of projects for new ports and terminals, for improvements in approaches and anchorage of the latest generation of sea vessels at each new evolution of marine traffic.

These professionals, like ship captains, airplane pilots, medical surgeons, due to the extreme grade of specialization, are required to undertake good training, constant professional practice, and continuous updating to better exercise their work within high standards of quality and safety.

They are licensed by the Maritime Authority to perform Pilotage services upon certification after having passed public entrance exams and extensive training given by veteran pilots. Then they are carefully examined for licensing at specific Pilotage Zones.

The Maritime Authority sets the size of the staff of pilots for each Pilotage Zone, without any interference from the local group of pilots. The number of pilots is determined by the frequency of ships that a particular port is capable of receiving, so that each pilot may perform the minimum amount of maneuvers set by the Maritime Authority.

The Pilot identifies himself as a component of the technical branch of the Government, which is the Maritime Authority, and who is employed to guarantee the safety of human life, that of the ships and other water vessels, their crews and cargoes, the safety of the access the access channels, the installations located in restricted waters and, with great emphasis, the protection of the aquatic environment and adjacent areas. He applies his technical qualifications and personal attributes by heavily investing in infrastructure to try to make viable and agile the commercial trade of interest of his region and which he is part of.

Pilots also provide technical advice for those projects that bring about improvements for navigation

When a vessel is stationary and waiting for the arrival of a pilot, the vessel will raise to its mast the signal flag for “pilot required” and “Ship’s Draft’, as per the International Code of Signals, while they are anchored at a Hold Point waiting for a Pilot.

Pilots usually go aboard the ship carrying their own VHF radio, life jacket and personal effects. He is a professional that deserves commendation for his efforts for contributing to the increase in domestic and international maritime trade and in the development of port activities in our State. He is available to exercise his job at all times, under all local weather and hydrographic conditions, in a highly professional manner. When he is on board a ship, the red and white flag is raised on the mast.