We are an association of nearly 100 maritime pilots navigating ships in and out of nine ports on the east coast of the United States.

A docking pilot assumes navigational control of a vessel at the end of its inbound voyage or prior to its departure, utilizing and directing tugboats to bring the ship alongside or away from its berth. The ports we work in operate under “dual-pilotage” systems alongside our colleagues at state pilot associations. Our docking pilots are U.S. Coast Guard-licensed masters with First Class Pilotage of Any Gross Tons for our ports.

We are all former tugboat masters with Master of Towing licenses. We have thorough experience in all aspects of tugboat operations, including extensive ship docking experience, operation of both conventional and azimuthing-drive tugboats, ship escort and tether evolutions, dead ship tows, and coastal and harbor barge towing.

In addition to tug master experience and Coast Guard licensing, our members served extensive apprenticeships of up to five years before piloting independently.

We work with the United States Coast Guard, state officials, port authorities, and our colleagues at fellow pilot organizations to ensure the safest and most efficient vessel transits possible. We work in the interest of protecting the environment, the safety of the port, its customers, their crews and the tug crews all while navigating ships and their cargoes through the most confined and hazardous part of its voyage.

Established in 1975 by Captain George Moore, a docking pilot in Jacksonville, we are a Florida-registered 501(c)(6) non-profit.

Photo above: Captain Bill Potter, Boston Harbor Docking Pilots, pilots a tanker inbound through the Fore River Bridge in Quincy, Massachusetts.

Photo below: Captain Bob Flannery, Metro Pilots, conducting a dead ship tow through New York’s Upper Bay.