A docking pilot boards the ship via tugboat by climbing a rope ladder or gangway.
After a master-pilot exchange, in which the ship’s captain and the pilot exchange information about the ship’s handling characteristics and the planned voyage to or from the berth, the docking pilot assumes navigational control of the vessel.
The slower a ship moves, the less maneuverable it becomes. The docking pilot, factoring in wind, current and other marine traffic, uses strategically placed tugboats to slow the ship down, bring it safely to its berth, and helps supervise the mooring operation.
The reverse process takes place during a departure.
Docking pilots navigate the narrowest and most hazardous part of a ship’s voyage…
…working at all hours of the day…
…in every kind of weather.
