Pilot vessel

A pilot vessel is a small, fast, seaworthy craft that carries a maritime pilot out to a ship approaching a port and brings the pilot back after departure. Lengths run roughly 12 to 20 meters with strong fendering, a low boarding deck, and self-righting hull forms for the open-water boarding ground where the pilot transfers to a moving ship by rope ladder. Speed matters because the boat must intercept inbound traffic and run several transfers a watch. The type is distinct from the pilot station ship, a larger vessel anchored at an offshore boarding ground that houses pilots and launches smaller boats. Reliability and crew safety in a seaway drive the design.