Extended Operational and Trade Vocabulary

Marine Pilotage and Pilot Operations glossary

The pilotage vocabulary: the IMO Assembly resolutions recommending deep-sea pilotage in specific waters (the North Sea, the Baltic approaches, Torres Strait), apprentice-pilot training, and the pilot-transfer and bridge-team terms. Grounds each term in the IMO pilotage recommendation or the pilot operation it belongs to.

363 defined terms.

Showing 250 on this page (page 1 of 2).

A

A.1045(27): IMO Assembly Resolution adopted 30 November 2011 containing Recommendations on Pilot Transfer Arrangements, replacing A.889(21).
A.1080(28): IMO Resolution 2013 on recommendations on the use of pilotage services in the Torres Strait and Great North East Channel.
A.485(XII): IMO Assembly Resolution adopted 1981 containing Recommendations on the Use of Adequately Qualified Deep-Sea Pilots in the North Sea, English Channel and Skagerrak.
A.486(XII): IMO Assembly Resolution 1981 recommending pilotage in the Euro-Channel and IJ-Channel.
A.620(15): IMO Resolution 1987 on navigation through the entrances to the Baltic Sea recommending pilotage.
A.710(17): IMO Resolution 1991 on use of pilotage services in the Euro-Channel and IJ-Channel.
A.827(19): IMO Resolution 1995 on ships' routeing including pilotage recommendations for Torres Strait and Great Barrier Reef.
A.960(23): IMO Assembly Resolution adopted 5 December 2003 containing Recommendations on Training and Certification and on Operational Procedures for Maritime Pilots other than Deep-Sea Pilots.
AAPA: American Association of Port Authorities, trade body representing seaports in the Americas.
Abeam approach: Pilot boat manoeuvre running parallel to the ship at boarding speed on the lee side.
Acceptance of pilot: Master's act confirming the pilot has boarded and assumed advisory duties, recorded in the bridge logbook.
Accommodation ladder: Inclined ladder hung over the ship's side for access.
Accommodation ladder angle: Maximum inclination 55 degrees from horizontal for pilot transfer combination arrangement.
ACP: Autoridad del Canal de Panama, the Panama Canal Authority operating compulsory pilotage through the Canal.
Active pilot: Licensed pilot currently performing pilotage duties as opposed to a retired or supernumerary pilot.
Advisor status: Legal characterization of the pilot's role under most jurisdictions, providing navigational advice while the master retains command.
Advisory pilot: Pilot whose function is solely to advise the master, common in US federal pilotage and PEC waters.
Aerial pilot transfer: Helicopter transfer of pilots to and from vessels in lieu of pilot boat boarding.
Air draft check: Pre-pilotage confirmation of vessel air draft against bridge clearances on the planned route.
ALPA: Asociacion Argentina de Practicos, Argentine pilots' association representing pilots on the Rio de la Plata and Parana River.
Amber light: Identifying light shown by some pilot boats in addition to the white-over-red pilot vessel lights.
AMPI: Australasian Marine Pilots Institute, professional body representing marine pilots in Australia and New Zealand.
Anchor pilot: Pilot engaged specifically to assist with anchoring or weighing anchor in a port roadstead.
APA: American Pilots' Association, national body representing state-licensed pilots in the United States.
Apprentice Pilot: Trainee marine pilot under deep-sea pilotage training.
Approach pilot: Pilot taking the vessel from sea pilot station to the inner harbor pilot change point.
Approach pilotage: Pilotage of the seaward approaches to a port, distinct from harbor pilotage inside breakwaters.
Area knowledge: Detailed local navigational, hydrographic, and traffic knowledge that distinguishes a pilot from the ship's master.
Assist tug: tug supporting a vessel during berthing or unberthing.
Attendance fee: Pilotage charge levied when a pilot attends but does not perform a full transit, for example a cancelled job.
Authority pilot: Pilot employed directly by a port or harbor authority rather than a private pilots' cooperative.

B

Backing Down: Reducing speed by reversing propulsion, used by escort tugs to control the assisted ship.
Baltic Approach pilotage: Recommended pilotage for vessels of certain drafts transiting the entrances to the Baltic Sea per IMO Resolution A.620(15).
Baltic Sea Pilot: Deep-sea pilot licensed for transit between the North Sea and Baltic via the Danish straits or Kiel Canal.
Bar pilot: Pilot specializing in crossing a coastal bar or river entrance, for example Columbia River Bar Pilots.
Barge pilot: Pilot endorsed to handle barge tows on inland or coastal waters.
Beacon-to-beacon pilotage: Pilotage by reference to fixed aids to navigation on a known channel.
Berthing master: Pilot or boatman directing the final lines-down phase alongside a berth.
Berthing pilot: Pilot whose role begins at the berth approach to oversee mooring with assist tugs.
Boarding arrangements: Means provided by the ship for pilot embarkation and disembarkation per SOLAS V/23.
Boarding ladder: General term for the rope ladder used in pilot transfer, specified in SOLAS V/23.
Boarding speed: Vessel speed during pilot embarkation, typically 5 to 7 knots to provide a lee while allowing pilot boat control.
Bosphorus Strait: Turkish-controlled strait governed by the Montreux Convention.
Bow thruster confirmation: Pre-pilotage MPX item confirming bow thruster availability and power.
Bridge card: See Pilot Card.
Bridge resource management: BRM, team-based bridge watchkeeping discipline.
Bridge team management: Operational discipline incorporating the pilot as a temporary team member with defined roles.
BRM: Bridge Resource Management, the systematic use of bridge personnel and information for safe navigation.
Brown water pilot: US inland waterway pilot working rivers and intracoastal channels.

C

California State Pilots: Collective term for the state-licensed pilots' groups covering San Francisco Bar, LA-Long Beach, and other California ports.
Canadian Pilotage Authorities: Four federal authorities established by the Pilotage Act 1972: Atlantic, Laurentian, Great Lakes, and Pacific.
Captain of the Port: USCG officer with authority over a US port zone.
CHA: Competent Harbour Authority under the UK Pilotage Act 1987, the body responsible for pilotage in a defined area.
Channel pilot: pilot guiding a vessel through a restricted channel.
Channel transit pilot: Pilot for the through-passage of a long channel such as Houston Ship Channel.
Chief pilot: Senior pilot supervising pilot operations at a station or for an authority.
Class-specific PEC: Pilotage Exemption Certificate valid for a defined class of similar vessels rather than a single ship.
Climb height: Vertical distance from pilot boat deck to point of safe access on board the ship, governed by SOLAS V/23.
Coasting pilot: Historical term for pilots taking ships along a coast between major ports, largely superseded by deep-sea pilots.
Columbia River Bar Pilots: US state pilots' organization handling Columbia River bar crossings between Pacific Ocean and Astoria.
Columbia River Pilots: Pilots licensed for the Columbia and Willamette Rivers above Astoria to Portland and Vancouver.
Combination arrangement: Pilot ladder rigged in conjunction with an accommodation ladder for boarding when freeboard exceeds 9 m per SOLAS V/23.
Commercial pilotage: Pilotage performed under contract by private pilots' cooperatives.
Compulsory Pilotage: Issue handled through SOLAS V and IMO resolutions on ships' routeing.
Compulsory pilotage area: Geographic area in which pilotage is mandatory under national or state law.
Conduct of navigation: Term denoting who is actually directing the ship's movement, normally the pilot acting as advisor.
Conn: Bridge officer or pilot currently giving helm and engine orders, formally transferred between persons.
Cook Strait Pilot: New Zealand pilot for the strait between North and South Islands.
Crescent River Port Pilots: Louisiana state pilots' association covering the lower Mississippi River from Pilottown to New Orleans.
Cross-current pilotage: Pilotage in waters with significant tidal or river cross-set requiring local knowledge.
Cuxhaven: German pilot station at the mouth of the River Elbe where Elbe pilots board for the Hamburg passage.

D

Daily pilot bulletin: Operational notice issued by some pilot stations on weather, restrictions, and traffic.
Dardanelles Strait: Southern Turkish Strait connecting the Aegean Sea and Sea of Marmara, with recommended pilotage.
Day pilot: Pilot rostered for daylight hours only on a station with split watches.
Daylight transit: Voyage segment restricted by pilotage authority to hours of daylight, common on the Great Barrier Reef Inner Route.
De-pilotage: Disembarkation of the pilot at the outbound pilot station.
Dedicated ladder lighting: Lighting fitted by the ship to illuminate the pilot ladder and area of boarding during darkness, required by SOLAS V/23.
Deep-sea pilot: pilot navigating routes such as the English Channel or Skagerrak.
Defective pilot ladder: Non-conforming ladder identified during boarding, IMPA annual campaign documents incidents.
Delay charge: Pilotage fee for time spent by a pilot waiting due to ship-caused delay.
Departure pilot: Pilot taking the vessel from the berth to the seaward pilot station.
Disembarkation: Process of guests leaving the ship at the end of a cruise.
Disembarkation lee: Lee provided by the ship for pilot boat coming alongside to recover the pilot.
Dispatch charge: Pilotage fee covering pilot launch and dispatch costs separate from pilotage itself.
Distress signal pilot: Procedure for emergency pilot disembarkation in deteriorating weather.
District pilot: Pilot whose license is confined to a specified pilotage district under national legislation.
Docking master: Specialist pilot or assistant pilot directing tugs alongside during berthing.
Docking pilot: US term for a specialist pilot handling final approach and berthing operations.
Double banking: two vessels moored alongside each other at one berth.
Double manning: Pilotage with two pilots aboard, sometimes mandated for very large ships or long transits.
Double pilot: Charge for two pilots assigned to a single vessel.
Dover Strait: English Channel narrows where deep-sea pilotage and TSS pilotage practices apply.
Draft restriction: Maximum draft permitted on a pilotage transit, set by depth and tide.
Dropping the pilot: Disembarkation of the pilot at the outbound pilot station.

E

East Coast Pilots: General term for pilots of the US Atlantic seaboard, including New York, Delaware, and Chesapeake associations.
Elbe Pilot: German pilot of the Cuxhaven-Hamburg passage on the River Elbe.
Embarkation deck: Deck location at which the pilot enters the ship from the boarding equipment.
Embarkation height: Height above water of the point at which the pilot steps aboard, governed by SOLAS V/23.
Embarkation lee: Lee provided by the ship for the pilot boat during pilot boarding.
EMPA: European Maritime Pilots' Association, regional body of national pilots' organizations across Europe.
Endorsement: written amendment to the policy.
English Channel Pilot: Deep-sea pilot for the Channel, traditionally Trinity House Channel Pilots.
Entry pilot: Pilot taking inbound vessels into the harbor.
Estuary pilot: Pilot specializing in tidal estuary navigation.
External pilotage: Pilotage outside the limits of port jurisdiction, often deep-sea pilotage.

F

Fast pilot boat: Pilot launch capable of 30 knots and above used at exposed pilot stations.
Federal pilot: US pilot licensed by USCG for coastwise voyages of US-flag vessels, required by 46 USC.
Fender position: Pilot boat lay-on point along the ship's side during boarding.
First pilot: Lead pilot in a double-piloted transit.
Fitness for boarding: Periodic medical and physical assessment for active pilots.
Fixed pilot station: Pilot boarding location with defined coordinates, lights, and shore facilities.
Flag pilot signal: Signal Letter H of the International Code of Signals indicating a pilot is on board.
Flemish hitch: Knot prohibited in pilot ladder side ropes which must be continuous through their entire length.
Foreign-going pilot: Pilot endorsed for ships engaged in international voyages.
Freeboard: Distance from waterline to freeboard deck, governed by the Load Lines Convention but referenced in SOLAS.
Fremantle Pilots: Western Australian pilots serving Port of Fremantle.

G

Galveston Bar Pilots: Texas state pilots' association handling vessels at Galveston Bar and inbound to Houston Ship Channel.
GBR Inner Route: Great Barrier Reef Inner Route from Cairns to Cape York, subject to compulsory pilotage since 1991.
GBR pilotage: Coastal pilotage on Australia's Great Barrier Reef administered by AMSA.
General pilotage area: Area in which pilotage services are available though not necessarily compulsory.
Goose neck: Vent terminal shape for tanks.
Great Lakes pilot: Pilot registered under the Great Lakes Pilotage Authority of Canada or USCG District 9.
Great Lakes Pilotage Act of 1960: US statute establishing the federal pilotage regime on the Great Lakes.
Great Lakes Pilotage Authority: Canadian pilotage authority for the Great Lakes and St Lawrence above Montreal.
Group pilotage: Convoy pilotage of multiple ships with a single lead pilot in restricted waters.

H

Halifax Pilots: Atlantic Pilotage Authority pilots serving the Port of Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Hamburg Pilot: Elbe pilot taking ships up to Hamburg from Cuxhaven.
Hand-over pilot: Pilot relieving another mid-transit at a defined change point.
Harbor Pilot: Compulsory pilot for port entry and departure.
Heaving line: Light line thrown to a wharf to haul over a heavier mooring rope.
Helicopter pilot transfer: Helicopter winch or landing transfer of a pilot, used in adverse weather or at far offshore stations.
Hellenic Pilots: Greek pilots' service operating in ports such as Piraeus and Thessaloniki.
High-sided ship pilotage: Special procedures for container ships and car carriers presenting large windage area to the pilot.
HKPA: Hong Kong Pilots Association.
Holding ground: Quality of the seabed for anchoring.
Hong Kong Pilots: Members of the Hong Kong Pilots Association serving Victoria Harbour and approaches under compulsory pilotage.
Houston Pilots: Texas state pilots' association serving the 53 nautical mile Houston Ship Channel from Galveston Bar to Houston Turning Basin.
Houston Ship Channel: US compulsory pilotage waterway 53 nautical miles long served by Houston Pilots.
Hydrographers Passage: Compulsory pilotage route through the Great Barrier Reef between Mackay and the Coral Sea.

I

Ice pilot: Local pilot with ice knowledge; required in certain Canadian and Russian waters.
Identification tag: Permanent manufacturer's plate on a pilot ladder showing date and standard, required by SOLAS V/23.
IMO MSC: Maritime Safety Committee of the International Maritime Organization, which adopts pilot transfer regulations.
IMPA: International Maritime Pilots Association.
IMPA Pilot Card: Standard ship information form recommended by IMPA for completion before pilot boarding.
IMPA Pilot Ladder Poster: Annually published IMPA poster summarizing SOLAS V/23 pilot transfer requirements.
Inboard equipment: Securing arrangements on the ship's deck for pilot ladder side ropes.
Inbound pilot: Pilot taking ships from sea pilot station inward to berth or anchorage.
Independent pilotage: Pilotage by pilots organized as a self-employed cooperative rather than employed by an authority.
Inland navigation pilot: Pilot for inland waters including rivers, lakes, and intracoastal waterways.
Inland pilot: Pilot endorsed for inland waters under national legislation.
Inner harbor pilot: Pilot whose license is confined to inner harbor movements.
Intermediate platform: Horizontal platform at least 750 mm long at the foot of an accommodation ladder rigged in combination arrangement.
Intermediate spreader: Wider spreader step on the pilot ladder, minimum 1.8 m, fitted at intervals not exceeding 9 steps.
ISO 7061: International standard for aluminum shore gangways used in combination arrangements.
ISO 799: International standard governing the construction of pilot ladders, incorporated by reference into SOLAS V/23.
ITF Pilot Ladder Programme: International Transport Workers' Federation programme highlighting pilot ladder safety failings.

J

Jacobs Ladder: Rope or wire ladder used for boarding pilots and others.
Job pilot: Pilot assigned to a specific job on a daily roster.
Joint pilotage: Pilotage by two pilots cooperatively on long transits.

K

Kiel Canal pilot: Pilot of the NOK Kanalsteurer service required for the Nord-Ostsee-Kanal crossing of northern Germany.
Klaipeda pilot: Lithuanian Baltic port pilot.

L

Ladder height limit: 9 m maximum free hanging length of a pilot ladder over the ship's side.
Ladder identification tag: Permanent label on each pilot ladder showing manufacturer, date, and standard.
Ladder lighting: Permanently fitted ship's lighting illuminating the pilot ladder and over-side area at night.
Ladder maintenance: Routine inspection, lubrication, and replacement of worn pilot ladder components.
Ladder rigging: Process of deploying and securing the pilot ladder for pilot transfer.
Ladder securing: Securing of pilot ladder to strong points well above deck level, not to ship's rails.
Ladder spotter: Crew member stationed at the pilot embarkation deck during pilot transfer.
Launch pilot: Pilot delivered to and recovered from ships by pilot launch.
Le Havre Pilots: French pilots' service covering Le Havre and Rouen on the Seine estuary.
Lead pilot: Senior pilot in a multi-pilot operation.
Lee shore approach: Approach made by pilot boat to the lee side of the ship to provide a sheltered boarding area.
License-by-tonnage: Pilot license endorsement restricted to vessels up to a stated gross tonnage.
Lifebuoy with self-igniting light: Safety equipment kept at the pilot boarding station, required by SOLAS V/23.
Lighting requirement: SOLAS V/23 mandate for adequate illumination of the pilot transfer arrangement at night.
Local knowledge: Detailed pilot familiarity with hydrography, traffic, and aids in a pilotage area.
Long Beach Pilots: California state pilots serving Port of Long Beach.
Loodswezen: Dutch pilots' organization providing pilotage in the Netherlands.
Los Angeles Pilots: Port of Los Angeles Pilot Service operating under the Port of Los Angeles Harbor Department.
Lotsenbruderschaft: German pilots' brotherhood organizing pilots into recognized fraternities.

M

Magnetic ladder securing: Approved method using magnetic shoes to attach pilot ladder side ropes to the ship's hull in a combination arrangement.
Manila rope: Traditional fiber rope of 18 mm minimum diameter specified for pilot ladder side ropes under SOLAS V/23.
Manning level: Number of personnel on board.
Manrope: Steady rope at a gangway or ladder.
Maritime pilot: Person other than the ship's master who has the conduct of a ship as a navigation advisor.
Maryland Pilots: State pilots covering Chesapeake Bay and the approaches to Baltimore.
Master pilot exchange: MPX, structured pre-arrival briefing.
Master-pilot relationship: Working relationship balancing the pilot's advisory role with the master's command authority.
Master's overriding authority: Master's right and duty to intervene and assume conduct when in his judgment the pilot's advice would hazard the ship, recognized under SOLAS V/19 and IMO Resolution A.960(23).
Maximum boarding speed: Upper limit of vessel speed during pilot embarkation, normally 7 knots.
MCA: UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency, responsible for SOSREP intervention.
Medical certificate: Periodic fitness certificate required of active pilots.
Minimum hand grip: 1.5 m hand grip above the embarkation point required at the upper end of a pilot ladder.
Mississippi River Pilots: Collective term for the various river pilots' associations covering the Mississippi.
Mooring master: pilot specialized in offshore single-point mooring operations.
MPA: Marine Protected Area.
MPX: Master-Pilot eXchange information shared between master and pilot on boarding.
MSC.1/Circ.1375: IMO circular on transitional implementation of the revised SOLAS V/23.
MSC.1/Circ.1428: IMO circular on Pilot Transfer Arrangements, providing requirements and guidance.
MSC.308(88): IMO Maritime Safety Committee resolution adopting the revised SOLAS V/23 on pilot transfer arrangements, in force 1 July 2012.

N

National authority: Statutory body responsible for pilotage administration within a nation.
Near miss reporting: ISM required reporting of near miss events.
New Orleans-Baton Rouge Steamship Pilots: NOBRA, Louisiana state pilots covering the river between New Orleans and Baton Rouge.
Night boarding: Pilot transfer in hours of darkness, requiring full ladder lighting under SOLAS V/23.
NLBV: Nederlands Loodswezen BV, the Dutch pilots' service operator.
No joint rule: SOLAS V/23 prohibition on joints in the lower four lengths of pilot ladder side ropes.
NOBRA: New Orleans-Baton Rouge Steamship Pilots Association.
NOK: Nord-Ostsee-Kanal, the Kiel Canal, with compulsory pilotage above 1,600 GT.
Non-compulsory pilotage: Pilotage available on request rather than by law.
North Sea Pilot Service: Deep-sea pilotage service for transits across the southern North Sea.

O

Off-shore pilot: Pilot of an offshore station outside port limits.
Officer of the watch: Bridge officer monitoring the conduct of the ship while the pilot advises.
On-board pilot: Pilot status while embarked and acting as advisor.
One-way traffic: Traffic regime where pilotage authority permits only inbound or outbound vessels in a constrained channel.
Outbound pilot: Pilot conducting the vessel from berth or anchorage to the seaward pilot station.

P

Panama Canal Pilot: ACP pilot with full conduct authority over vessels in transit of the Panama Canal.
Panama Canal pilotage: Compulsory pilotage in which the pilot has authority over navigation, exceptional internationally.
PEC: Pilotage Exemption Certificate granted to qualified masters.
PEC examination: Oral and chartwork examination of a master applying for a Pilotage Exemption Certificate.
PEC ship: Vessel transiting under master's PEC instead of pilot.
PEC validity period: Time-limited period for which a PEC is issued, typically one year.
Permanent identification tag: SOLAS V/23 requirement for pilot ladder marking that survives the ladder's life.
Pilot: Local navigation specialist who guides ships through restricted waters.
Pilot Act: Generic term for national legislation establishing pilotage.
Pilot agent: Shore office of a pilots' organization handling dispatch and accounting.
Pilot association: Group of pilots organized as a cooperative or company providing pilotage in a defined area.
Pilot boarding ground: Charted area at which pilots board and disembark.
Pilot boarding instruction: Pre-arrival instruction from the pilot station regarding boarding side, speed, and ladder height.
Pilot boarding place: Charted symbol denoting a pilot boarding ground.
Pilot boat: launch transferring pilots between vessel and shore.
Pilot boat coxswain: Master of the pilot boat responsible for transfer maneuvering.
Pilot card: Standard A4 card given to pilot.
Pilot Cutter: Pilot transfer launch, distinct from harbor tugs but often colocated.
Pilot door: Hinged hull door on large vessels through which the pilot boards directly without climbing to deck level.
Pilot dues: Statutory pilotage charges levied by an authority.
Pilot fee: Charge for pilotage services.
Pilot flag: Signal flag H meaning "I have a pilot on board".
Pilot helmet: Personal protective helmet worn by pilots during transfer.
Pilot hoist: Mechanical pilot lift, prohibited under SOLAS V/23 for primary transfer since 1 July 2012.
Pilot in charge: Designation of the responsible pilot in multi-pilot operations.
Pilot Ladder: Ladder constructed to SOLAS V/23 standards.
Pilot ladder certification: Manufacturer's certificate confirming SOLAS V/23 and ISO 799 compliance.
Pilot ladder lighting: Dedicated illumination for the ladder during night transfer.
Pilot ladder magnet: Magnetic securing device used in some combination arrangements.
Pilot ladder reel: Storage reel for the pilot ladder when not in use.
Pilot ladder safety campaign: IMPA's annual program documenting non-compliant pilot transfer arrangements.
Pilot ladder securing strop: Heavy strop securing the head of the pilot ladder to a strong point on deck.
Pilot ladder spreader: Wider step that prevents the ladder from twisting, minimum 1.8 m long.
Pilot launch: Smaller pilot vessel for short-range pilot transfer.
Pilot lift: Mechanical hoist for offshore pilot transfer at exposed terminals, certified for offshore use.