Pilotage service. Procedure of ordering a pilot. Duties of pilot and master. Process of pilotage. Documents connecting with pilotage. Towing within port limits

Pilotage service.

The P.S. is a special service offered at rendering assistance to vessel at navigation in every maritime country. The P.S. offers an experienced and qualified specialists having good local knowledge. Every specialists of this service has license certificate. But inspire of this service the master is fully responsible for the ship. The pilot is a local expert and will obviously conduct the ship advising the master the best course. This service has their tugs, pilot boats, they have the truly information about the available berths, docks and traffic conditions as to pilots they must know the approaches to ports in detail in other words they must know everything that’s connected with navigation the ship safety to port. So they must go through a very intensive course, finish special pilot school to get a lot of experience skills to be sure that he will work without any fault. The process of ordering a pilot consists of 3 steps. Firstly the vessel must sent a telegram by fax or radiogram, which consist the name of the ship, call sign, IMO number, master’s name, port of registered , flag state, the ETA, her main characteristics and information about her cargo. The time of sending is indicated in the port Guide because every port has it’s own rules. The second step has to include the speed of the ship. The third step is connection with pilot station by VHF. Pilot boarding ground and the side of rigging a ladder are discussed at that time. When the vessel required a pilot it flies a flag GOLF and after embarkation of a pilot the flag HOTEL is hoisted. But at night it is a light signals and bad visibility the sound signals. The Watch Officer must meet the pilot and proceed with him to the bridge.

Procedure of ordering a pilot.

P.S. is a special service offered to help a vessel navigating in particular area. Pilot is a qualified, licensed person with good knowledge who is authorized to pilot vessels. The process of ordering a pilot consists of 3 steps. Firstly the vessel must sent a telegram by fax or radiogram, which consist the name of the ship, call sign, IMO number, master’s name, port of registered , flag state, the ETA, her main characteristics and information about her cargo. The time of sending is indicated in the port Guide because every port has it’s own rules. The second step has to include the speed of the ship. The third step is connection with pilot station by VHF. Pilot boarding ground and the side of rigging a ladder are discussed at that time. When the vessel required a pilot it flies a flag GOLF and after embarkation of a pilot the flag HOTEL is hoisted. But at night it is a light signals and bad visibility the sound signals. The Watch Officer must meet the pilot and proceed with him to the bridge.

Duties of pilot and master.

Both pilot and master have their special duties during pilotage as to master he must first of all give order to rig the pilot ladder on a chosen by pilot side. Then he must ensure: -the appropriate charts and publications available; -the navigation aids are in order and operation; -an efficient watch including officer of the watch , helmsmen and look-out are posted; -That the pilot is informed of: -the ships destination, ETA and any special instructs from the owner ship manager or agent; -physical characteristics of the ship; -the ship’s maneuvering characteristics and any unusual characteristics that may effect her handling or maneuvering; -navigation aids, equipment and any defects or unusual features; -crew and watch availability. Besides master must ensure the OOW understands the plan and must give clear instructions to him, especially if he delegated responsibility to the OOW and lives the bridge. As to pilot he must inform the master of: -the instructions he has as to destination berth and which side to, ETA, tug’s assistance; -the passage to destination, conditions expects and the proposed route and pilotage plan; -weather and tidal conditions expected; -vessel traffic system and traffic expected. If the passage is rather long the pilot cabin should be prepared. The pilot only advice the master on the ship’s navigation and master remains fully responsibility for her safety. After pilotage the master should fill in and sign the Pilot Note.  

Process of pilotage.

First of all to effect pilotage a master should find out necessary information about pilotage in particular area. As pilot may be embarked the ship either by helicopter or by pilot launch a master should provide required boarding arrangements for pilot is on board. A master should send OOW and boatswain to take him up to the bridge. If the passage rather long the pilot cabin should be prepared. The pilot must inform the master about instructions he has as to destination berth and which side to, ETA, tug’s assistance, weather and tidal conditions expected, vessel traffic system and traffic expected. The master in his turn must ensure that the appropriate charts and publications available, the navigation aids are in order and operation, an efficient watch including officer of the watch , helmsmen and look-out are posted, that the pilot is informed of the ships destination, ETA and any special instructs from the owner ship manager or agent, physical characteristics of the ship, the ship’s maneuvering characteristics and any unusual characteristics that may effect her handling or maneuvering, navigation aids, equipment and any defects or unusual features, crew and watch availability. And the master should also prepare a Pilotage Plan. The pilot only advices the master on the ship’s navigation and master remains fully responsibility for her safety. The master must always assess the pilot’s orders and if he feels that the pilot is ensure he must stop him. Pilot should give the master a maneuvering plan or passage in order to inform master about maneuvers. The master may live the bridge during the pilotage. In this case he must delegate responsibility to the OOW. After pilotage the master should fill in and sign the Pilot Note. 

Documents connecting with pilotage.

They are pilot Certificate, Pilotage Note and Disbursements Account. Every pilot must produce his pilot license, if requested to his employers. This document authorizes him to pilot vessels in a particular pilotage area. After the pilotage a muster should fill in and sign the  Pilotage Note, which contains the name of the ship, her gross tonnage and draught, the ship’s agent name, the master’s name in block letters and his signature, the commencement and where it started from. The coast of pilotage is included in the Disbursements Account. This document shows all vessel’s expenses incurred while staying in a port.

Anchorage selection.

When vessels cannot proceed directly to their allocated berth they may anchor either in the open roadstead or in the inner harbour. In case of anchoring in the inner harbor, ships anchor at the allocated anchoring berth recommended by the pilot or port authorities in the Pilot Book. Vessels may use for lying at anchor the places allocated especially for anchoring. Such anchorage must meet the following requirements: -it should be sheltered from winds; -anchorage should be situated far off the fairways, under water cables and pipelines; - anchorage place should have a good holding ground. It is not recommended to use the anchorages with the hard nature of the bottom, such as rocks, stones, shells, corals. The good holding grounds are sand, clay, mud, gravel; - anchorage should have sufficient swinging room and safe approaches. Depth of anchoring place depends on the ships draught, height of waves. The preferable depths of anchorage are 20-30 meters.

Procedure of bringing the ship to the anchor.

First of all master give an order:” get the port/starboard or both anchors ready to let go”. The number of dropped anchors depends on force of wind, straight and set of tide, nature of holding ground and depth of water. It is recommended to slack away the anchor to the water before dropping especially after a log sailing. Before bringing a vessel to anchor her sped must be decreased to slow, if it necessary brings her head up to the wind tide. When the ship is near  her intended anchoring place her engine are stopped and if it necessary should worked astern to run off her headway. It’s time to drop the anchor. The master order:” let go the anchor”. The boatswain slack the chain away. When the cable is paid out the master order:” hold on the chain”. The boatswain secures the brakes, connects the chain gear with the windlass and than the anchor chain slacked away slowly shackle by shackle by means of windlass. The master orders to slack away a definite number of shackles. The boatswain reports how many shackles are under the water and how the chain looks. After the ship has been anchored the OOW takes anchorage bearings and soundings and makes corresponding entries in the Log Book, plots the ships position on the chart, and checked periodically.