Ship Pilots

[OhMari]

I always knew there were people that would meet semi drivers, and would dock or bring the semi into a city, or a place of employment and get the semi to the loading dock, because it can be a hard turn or just plane hard to back a semi in to the docks. Over Christmas, we visited our son and DIL out in Long Island, NY and we were talking to our DIL's uncle and he was a Pilot for ships that came into NY Harbor. He was telling us, how the currents are so bad where the East River and the Hudson River Meet that almost all ships need Pilots like himself to either take the ships out or bring the ships in. He retired last summer and his cousin who did the same job, lost his life Monday, in those crazy winds, going to a ship to Pilot in. He was going to retire in June. So sad. I have a link. https://maritimebulletin.net/2019/12/30/pilot-fell-to-death-while-boarding-container-ship-new-york/

 

[NotUrsula]

I'm quite familiar with them, I have a couple of friends who do this for a living, working the Port of New Orleans and the Mississippi River ports further north. It is a very difficult job and a particularly hazardous one as well, and that is why it pays so much -- one of the most lucrative salaried professions in the world.

 

[Cindy's Mom]

me and the DH are cruisers - ship pilots are a thing, and a good thing at that.

 

[Cindy's Mom]

I'm quite familiar with them, I have a couple of friends who do this for a living, working the Port of New Orleans and the Mississippi River ports further north. It is a very difficult job and a particularly hazardous one as well, and that is why it pays so much -- one of the most lucrative salaried professions in the world.

how so?

 

[Dan Murphy]

Very interesting jon, Mari, and very sad he died.

Hope you have a good year, Mari.

 

[Jdbsfw]

I’ve heard from second hand sources that here in the New Orleans area they average around 4-600K a year.....and without a connection, you’ll never be one. That’s just what I’ve heard

 

[sonnyjane]

how so?

Our local ship pilots here in Washington make about $400,000 a year.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Attend one of the maritime colleges and the average annual mid-career salary is approx 150K.
Here’s an article about one in NYC:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/16/nyregion/suny-maritime-college.html

 

[NotUrsula]

how so?

Standard pay in the US is upward of $500K/yr once fully qualified.

There is usually no degree requirement to be a pilot, but most people who aspire to it are graduates of maritime academies, and you have to have the proper sea ratings before you can take the exam, which is incredibly long and difficult, and normally takes a couple of tries to pass. Once you finally do pass it, then you have at least 3 yrs of intensive on the job training before becoming fully qualified. It's a very tight community, really an old-fashioned guild system; most ports only have a handful of fully qualified pilots.

Normally you only get one opening every few years for entering the profession at each domestic port. Here is how the Florida association explains the hiring process:

"A formal procedure determines the need for a new harbor pilot and who will be appointed to a port. Once a port requests a new deputy harbor pilot, DBPR and the Board determines which individuals are qualified to take the examination based on their list of applicants. After the exam results are thoroughly reviewed, the Board identifies the five highest-scoring candidates. Once the five individuals are established, the secretary will appoint one individual among the five candidates as the deputy harbor pilot. The deputy harbor pilot is determined based on the candidates’ scores and other qualifications. '

To sit for the exam, applicants must have the following qualifications:

• Be a U.S. citizen, 21 years old;
• Have a high school diploma;
• Be physically and mentally fit;
• Drug and alcohol dependency free;
• Have at least 2 years sea service as an officer under your license; and
• Hold a minimum 2nd Mates or Master 1,600 ton license, a USCG licensed First Class Pilot in U.S. ports or the Great Lakes, or certain service on certain specific type of military vessels.

 

[OrangeBirdGirl]

DH & I are frequent cruisers as well and many times a local pilot boards the ship to take it into port. DH is also in the Navy and it's pretty common when they pull into port outside their home port a local official will board and bring the ship in. Most of the time due to navigating shallow channels to get to the pier, heavy fog or just overly busy channels. But the pilot doesn't actually usually steer the boat like one might think. I'm sure in some cases they do. But most of the time they are in the "bridge" area telling everyone the commands such as turn ___ degrees north, depress speed to ___ knots.

 

[tvguy]

Learned something today. I am familiar with ship pilots. Never heard of semi-pilots until now. I have seen many instances where a semi driver would have used a pilot though.

 

[LSUmiss]

I’ve heard from second hand sources that here in the New Orleans area they average around 4-600K a year.....and without a connection, you’ll never be one. That’s just what I’ve heard

That’s what I’ve always heard too.

 

[OhMari]

Very interesting jon, Mari, and very sad he died.

Hope you have a good year, Mari.

Thank you Dan you too.

 

[OhMari]

Learned something today. I am familiar with ship pilots. Never heard of semi-pilots until now. I have seen many instances where a semi driver would have used a pilot though.

I never heard of it either. My son works in Long Island City NY and their yard has an elevator shaft and they are putting a new subway system in. He received many calls to come and get their semi and bring it into the city. He dispatched the pilots and even does it himself.