Dock Master/Pilot

Qualified pilots are usually employed by the local port or maritime administration, and provide their services to ships for a fee, calculated in relation to the ship’s tonnage, draught or other criteria.

East China is home to the world's biggest port in terms of cargo throughput. Every day, ocean tankers filled with critical resources like iron ore and crude oil pass through the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port as fully-loaded container ships arrive from all over the world. Marine pilots are the first to meet the incoming ships, and the last to see them out. They are tasked to help maneuver the giant vessels through China's busy waterways. Follow CGTN reporter Huang Fei to find out more about our...

The Bridgemans Services Group has taken delivery of a new search and rescue (SAR) boat that can also be used for pilot transfer, firefighting, and pollution response duties.

Up here in the north, we do things a little differently ...

Join me behind the scenes aboard the pilot boat as we guide the cruise ship Borealis out of the River Tyne and welcome a colossal vehicle carrier into port. In this video, you'll get an up-close look at the challenging conditions at sea, including a rough water pilot transfer as we safely land the pilot onboard. Experience the scale of these incredible vessels and see the precision teamwork it takes to keep everything running smoothly, even in heavy seas. From the stunning departure of the...

Based in Estonia, Baltic Workboats is a long-tenured boatbuilder for multiple markets, including the demanding pilot boat sector. Late in 2025 in New Orleans BWB debuted a new hybrid electric 17m model, a boat that leans on more than 15 years of accrued experience building larger hybrid electric vessels. Carl Mahler, BWB’s North American sales lead and a harbor pilot himself, discussed with Maritime Reporter TV the value proposition offered by the shipyard, from manufacturing process to...

Compmillennia LLC (Washington, North Carolina, U.S.A.) has delivered its Lightspeed® 41 (15.5-meter) Pilothouse catamaran, featuring strong but lightweight all-composite construction with a 42-knots achieved by twin 300-hp V8 Mercury Seapro outboard engines.

Delta Launch Services has ordered a new pilot boat from Gladding Hearn Shipbuilding (Duclos Corporation).

This is the sixth St. John’s Class launch built by the Somerset, Mass. shipyard. Delivery of the new 52-footer is scheduled for July 2020.