Harbor Pilots

I love videos of boats in high seas. I particularly love to watch pilot boats. These are the unsung heros of the boating world in my opinion. Relatively small boats that carry harbor pilots out to sea to meet with large ships in order to guide them into the harbour to dock.

The pilot boats take the harbour pilot to the ship, and then he or she has to leave the small boat and board the ship.....No problem in calm seas, but what an amazing, dangerous, scary thing to do during rough weather and high seas.

These are tough, intelligent men and women....just look at what they go through....




The above boat is the Pathfinder, made in Ireland and used as a patrol boat and pilot boat in Southhampton in the United Kingdom.

In some cases, the pilot boat comes alongside the larger vessel and the pilot jumps from the pilot boat to a ladder that he then has to climb to reach the deck of the large ship. I think in other situations a net "basket" is lowered by crane to the deck of the pilot boat, the pilot jumps on the basket and hangs on as the crane lifts him aboard the ship.

Here is a video showing the pilot boat coming alongside the large ship and pilot climbing aboard. This video was shot during fairly calm seas, imagine doing this in high seas.



These are not guys with weak stomachs......

Here is video that gives you a little insight into the job description of a harbour pilot. This video also shows a pilot climbing aboard a large ship by jumping from the pilot boat to a rope ladder.


As boating careers go, I think this would be an interesting one. Imagine going to sea everyday to climb aboard a big ship and take charge of it's movements. Essentially the harbor pilot becomes Master of the ship for the trip to the dock. Not for the faint of heart that's for sure. It's dangerous, but it would be interesting work. You'd need to know about the operation of various ships, and to know the routes in all kinds of weather conditions, and how to deal with people from all over the world, among a long littany of other things you would need to know.

I think one of the plus factors to some folks might be that you get to go to sea, work around boats and the water, but not have to leave home for those long extended periods that most seafarers are required to do.