pilot ship

[Kokopelli2]

Usually pilot boats are pretty nice, like this one from Puerto Vallarta:

 

 

But we saw this one from La Paz on our last cruise:

 

 

Gotta give it to the panga skipper - steering that little boat up against the Carnival Spirit! :D

[elcuchio24]

The pilot never takes over 'the controls' of the vessel, they are there as a 'local navigation aid' only.

 

Giving verbal instructions and guidance.

 

The Captain always has full command of his or her vessel. Particularly when manouvering into and out of ports, the Captain will be at the controls.

 

Not true, the pilot does actually control the ship. Pilot in Command as it were.

[AWCHIEF]

My X-wifes family are several generations of Mississippi river pilots from the middle 1800s. Currently there are 3 uncles and 2 brothers that are on the job. They all make over 1/2 a million per year. It is true that it a serious good old boy network passed down in the same families that have been on the river as long as there have been pilots. From what I know from talking to them it is pretty much the same all over the world for the profession.

[molme]

We did a Panama Canal cruise last year and were told by the Captain that the only time a captain turns over control of his ship is when they are going through the canal.

[MrSidewayz]

Not true, the pilot does actually control the ship. Pilot in Command as it were.

 

Working in my port, and with the local pilots, and having cruised regularly, often being invited to the Bridge for arrival into or departure out of various ports, I am telling it as I have seen it.

 

Never have I seen a Quatermaster, 'hands on' controls, take a cruise liner into or out of port :confused:

[Buffettfan 225]

Next cruise, take time to watch out for the pilot getting onto the cruise ship--sometimes it appears "easy" other times when seas are rough takes many passes and alignment to make it into the "little door". So we watch almost every port leaving, and sometimes catch entry into port if up early enough.

[derf5585]

Never have I seen a Quatermaster, 'hands on' controls, take a cruise liner into or out of port :confused:

 

How about a Halfmaster or a Fullmaster?:D

[dulcimergirl]

Can alse be used to get late passengers back to the ship;):D

 

Yep, years ago on our first cruise, at St Thomas, we were docked next to another ship. That ship left, and about that time a man came running down with a baby carriage and had missed the ship. He was screaming about the ship leaving early, yada, yada, and it wasn't his fault. Of course everyone on our ship watched and listened. They finally took him and daughter off to the pilot boat and ran them out to the ship. I like to think they wouldn't have if his baby wasnt with him.. lol

I always watch for the Pilot boat..

[hlb76]

I love all the pics you guys are posting!! I think I have some at home somewhere. Would be great it get a action shot of the leap!

[elcuchio24]

Working in my port, and with the local pilots, and having cruised regularly, often being invited to the Bridge for arrival into or departure out of various ports, I am telling it as I have seen it.

 

Never have I seen a Quatermaster, 'hands on' controls, take a cruise liner into or out of port :confused:

 

I didn't say anything about any quartermaster?:confused:

[LemurCat]

How about a Halfmaster or a Fullmaster?:D

 

Ships don't have half decks or full decks and thus don't need masters of them.

 

(As in the quarterdeck of the ship is the sacred territory of commissioned officers, though warrant officers were allowed to walk it.)

[MrSidewayz]

Here is a shot from the Pilot Boat, of the Carnival Victory on departue. Shell door about to open for the pilot to disembark.

[wiskt]

Can alse be used to get late passengers back to the ship;):D

 

 

Or to pick up the random workers that decide to dive in and make it to land hoping for a new life!

[SadieN]

The things I find when I'm researching a port.

 

http://www.colrip.com/Pages/Home.aspx

http://www.columbiariverbarpilots.com/

[Aplmac]

The pilot never takes over 'the controls' of the vessel,

they are there as a 'local navigation aid' only.

Giving verbal instructions and guidance.

The Captain always has full command of his or her vessel.

Particularly when maneuvering into and out of ports,

the Captain will be at the controls.

Thank you for your clarification.

 

Since I know you work on cruise(and other) ships as a local shipping agent

and often go out on pilot boats, I'm taking your word as true and exact gospel. ;)

 

..................................

 

And if you think getting on and off a rocking pilot boat

onto a big ole cushy cruise ship with a wide open door down near water level

is difficult...

you want to watch these guys doing their thing at night,

up and down the sides of a vertical steel hull on a rope ladder.

 

And if you think I'm kidding, I'm not.

.

[H82seaUgo]

I was just wondering what the deal with the pilot ships are. I see them on each cruise but I have never asked what there real purpose is. I know this is prob a stupid question but I am interested. Thanks in advance....

 

it's merely the boat that takes the guy that assists the captain in and out of each harbor....the expert, or master.

[atog254]

Question: The pilot gives wrong information and the ship runs aground :eek:, who is responsible :confused: ?

 

Pilot or Captain

[Wnt2Bol]

I have to reply as to what I saw on one of the Cruise episodes on TV. I watched an episode that showed the pilot coming aboard to pilot the ship. That pilot was in full command of the ship, but at one point the pilot started getting into some trouble due to high winds. The Captain was right there watching and stated he was about to take over control as "apparently" they have the right to do in certain cases. At least that is what they showed on the TV show. I believe it was a Royal Caribbean ship that was being shown at the time.

[mizLORInj]

About how long does it take to get 8-20 miles out to sea?

 

How long the pilot is on the ship depends on how long (distance) the shipping channel is. When you stop seeing buoys and you feel the ship slow down, the pilot will get off the ship.

So some pilots get off the ship quickly because the channel distance is short, say for example, Nassau, and some are onboard for 1.5 hours (NYC).

[ruag8tr2]

Quite possibly one of the most interesting threads on CC. I knew they made a lot of $$ but 400,000.00 is more than I imagined. So many interesting responses.

 

A few weeks ago when leaving Miami I watched as the Pilots boarded their vessel to go back to Miami. In this case there were two people that left the ship. One was a young man and the other was a young (25ish-30ish) woman. Both left the NCL Pearl at the same time and both had shirts that said Pilot on them. Maybe training?

 

I also watched as the NCL Pearl did a 180 degree turn in Nassau. I was amazed at the ease of this gigantic ship turning in the water like it was on a turning tray. The ship then easily backed into its mooring area at the dock. I, like most of you was so amazed at the whole thing. Now that I think about it, they probably deserve all that money.

 

BTW- Not to hijack the thread but do they make more than ship Captains?

[Sargent_Schultz]

After working in the maritime industry for a few years, it's my understanding that the job is handed down from retiring father to son (or other male relative). Very rarely is the job open for applications.

 

If you look up nepotism in the dictionary, they have pictures of shore pilots, river pilots, etc.

 

At no time does the pilot have hands on the controls, they are not driving the boat. If they did, they might spill their drink. :eek:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Sargent_Schultz]

 

 

 

 

[Rosefloater]

I don't have a shot of the 'leap', but I do have 2 shots of pilots hanging on the side of the ship waiting for the pilot boat to come close enough to jump onto the ship.

 

These were taken on 2 separate cruises on the Paradise. I like to sit at a table outside the buffet area of the Lido.

 

[darth frosty]

I got some great pics of the pilot boat guy getting on and off.

 

This was on the imagination leaving miami

 

 

Coming in to nassau

[jtwitch]

We did a Panama Canal cruise last year and were told by the Captain that the only time a captain turns over control of his ship is when they are going through the canal.

 

I suppose the captain never sleeps then?