Pilotage Exemption Certificate (PEC)

A Pilotage Exemption Certificate (PEC) authorizes a qualified master or deck officer to navigate a specified vessel within a pilotage district WITHOUT taking a licensed pilot, where pilotage would otherwise be compulsory. The applicant must demonstrate local knowledge of the waters, tides, and traffic and adequate command of the working language, and the certificate names the holder, the ship(s), and the area. In the United Kingdom it is granted by the Competent Harbour Authority under the Pilotage Act 1987, sections 8 and 3. It can be suspended or revoked for incompetence or after an incident.