Port Skills and Safety

Marine Pilot

Job Description and Activities

Masters of ships arriving in ports often need assistance to make sure they can enter and exit the port safely. This assistance is provided by Marine Pilots who are normally required to undertake the following:

Physical tasks – Marine Pilots are required to board moving vessels from small high powered launches, often in rough seas. This involves climbing high ladders to access vessel decks.
Pilotage planning – before boarding a vessel the Marine Pilot is required to plan the course of the vessel taking into account tides, weather, size, weight and operational characteristics of the vessel, and if there is a need for tugs.
Piloting the vessel – the Marine Pilot will have responsibility for navigating the vessel safely in and out of the harbour and needs to work very closely with the captain, and other members of the crew, to achieve this. They would also need to be able to use the ship’s navigational and communications equipment, liaising with other vessels and the port control centre.

The Working Environment

The requirement to board vessels at sea means that a marine pilot needs to be reasonably fit, comfortable working on the water and at height. Due to the nature of the work, many pilots have previously worked as a ship’s officer or master. There may also be some on-call requirement and shift or weekend work is very likely.

Salary

Marine Pilots can expect to earn in the region of £35,000, sometimes rising to £55,000 with experience. Earnings are often dependent upon the types of vessel using the port and the unsocial hours they are required to work.

Entry Requirements

Marine Pilots traditionally have experience as Ship’s Officer prior to becoming pilots. However, a foundation degree is being developed with a pathway in Marine Pilotage to prepare new entrants for the role.

Career Development