Job Description, Daily Responsibilities, and Work Life
Ship Pilots
Ship Pilots command ships to steer them into and out of harbors, estuaries, straits, or sounds, or on rivers, lakes, or bays. Must be licensed by U.S. Coast Guard with limitations indicating class and tonnage of vessels for which license is valid and route and waters that may be piloted.
Table of Contents
Job Description
Ship Pilots command ships to steer them into and out of harbors, estuaries, straits, or sounds, or on rivers, lakes, or bays. Must be licensed by U.S. Coast Guard with limitations indicating class and tonnage of vessels for which license is valid and route and waters that may be piloted. They also direct courses and speeds of ships, based on specialized knowledge of local winds, weather, water depths, tides, currents, and hazards.
Other tasks include:
- Steer ships into or out of berths, or signal tugboat captains to berth or unberth ships.
- Set ships’ courses to avoid reefs, outlying shoals, or other hazards, using navigational aids, such as lighthouses or buoys.
- Prevent ships under navigational control from engaging in unsafe operations.
- Serve as a vessel’s docking master upon arrival at a port or at a berth.
- Consult maps, charts, weather reports, or navigation equipment to determine and direct ship movements.
- Give directions to crew members steering ships.
We asked Ship Pilots how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.
61%
47%
61% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 47% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.
Typical Day At Work
On a daily basis, Ship Pilots direct courses and speeds of ships, based on specialized knowledge of local winds, weather, water depths, tides, currents, and hazards. They operate ship-to-shore radios to exchange information needed for ship operations.
A typical day for a Ship Pilot will also include:
- Set ships’ courses to avoid reefs, outlying shoals, or other hazards, using navigational aids, such as lighthouses or buoys.
- Prevent ships under navigational control from engaging in unsafe operations.
- Maintain ship logs.
- Consult maps, charts, weather reports, or navigation equipment to determine and direct ship movements.
- Give directions to crew members steering ships.
We asked some Ship Pilots a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.
Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job? | 82% said yes | |
How important is it to work in a team in this job? | 77% said very important | |
Do you have group discussions everyday in this job? | 84% said yes | |
Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job? | 21% said yes | |
Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job? | 4% said yes | |
Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job? | 95% said yes |
Other responsibilities
Besides their typical day, Ship Pilots also provide assistance to vessels approaching or leaving seacoasts, navigating harbors, or docking and undocking. They may also oversee cargo storage on or below decks.
On a weekly to monthly basis, Ship Pilots Maintain or repair boats or equipment. They might also Serve as a vessel’s docking master upon arrival at a port or at a berth.
In addition, they Advise ships’ masters on harbor rules and customs procedures.
Although specific duties may vary, many of them Steer ships into or out of berths, or signal tugboat captains to berth or unberth ships.
To some Ship Pilots, it is also their responsibility to Relieve crew members on tugs or launches.
Working life
More than 40 hours per week
Irregular work schedule that changes depending on weather conditions, customer demand or contract duration.
In a typical work week as a Ship Pilot, you can expect to work more than 40 hours per week.
Is this right for me
The Builders and The Thinkers
People who are suitable for this job tends to like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery..
They also like working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
You can read more about these career personality types here.
Learn more about Ship Pilots
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