Fédération Française des Pilotes Maritimes (FFPM)

A collection of action from the St Johns Bar Pilot Association In the early 1800′s as the commercial ports along the St Johns River began to develop, a select group of brave and skilled seafarers would row to sea to meet arriving cargo sailing ships. These daring individuals would use their extensive local knowledge to safely guide the sailing ships across the treacherous sand bars that guarded the river entrance. This was the origin of the St. Johns Bar Pilots. Initially it was a bit of a...

A wonderful poem As read by the author From his books "Poems" Sometimes it is good just to stop and enjoy a poem. This poem "Ship's Pilot" is read by the author himself. A valuable piece about the nature of the pilot.

Amid the breathtaking beauty of Tampa Bay, there is a constant current of change for the Tampa Bay harbor pilots. In an ocean that can turn from peaceful to perilous, the pilots are required to have a calm voice and a steady hand.
“You really do have to know how to work under pressure. You’ve got to be quick on your feet. You’ve got to be on point all the time,” pilot Tevin Freeman said.
Read more: https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/hillsboroughcounty/tampa-bay-pilots-ships-skyway-...

Going Beyond Borders. The first oversized Kasko (120m x 40m) passed the Holtenau locks at Kiel on her way from the Neptun shipyard in Rostock to Meyer shipyard in Papenburg.
The planning and simulation study on this towage has been performed by NAUTITEC and KOTUG, with the great assistance of pilots and Kiel canal authorities on behalf of Meyer shipyard.
Produced by AVE-Solutions in order of Nautitec, Kotug and Bijma Sleepdiensten.

Some pilots have already lost their lives because of this non-compliant construction. We don't want to see such an arrangement again. Here is a latest video from the Middle East.

According to Captain’s visual observance and overheard radio talks, bulk carrier OLIVE BAY anchor chain entangled with the chain of another ship, on Jan 8 or 9, in Yangtze estuary between Chongming island and Taicang, Shanghai area.

A maritime pilot tells us about why he loves switching ships in midstream.

Maritime pilots trace the roots of their profession back to the ancient Greeks and Romans when incoming ship captains employed experienced local fisherman to guide their merchant vessels safely into port. It’s a legacy of skill, strength, and sharp wits, and our Houston Pilots (“Pilots”) have been meeting vessels at Galveston’s bar to carry on these proud traditions for just shy of 100 years.