Pilotage involves navigating close to land and hazards, requiring accurate position determination. It draws on many information sources like charts, sailing directions, and experience. When planning pilotage, factors considered include depths, tidal streams, timing, and administrative needs. The plan selects a track using clearing bearings, marks distances, and notes wheel over positions. Execution relies on transits, running fixes, bridge team communication, and flexibility for actual conditions.

1. PILOTAGE
A Brief By Lance Grindley

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PILOTAGEPILOTAGE
“Navigation involving frequent or continuous determination
of position or a line of position relative to geographic points,
and usually requiring the need for close attention to the
vessel’s draught with respect to the draught of water. It is
practised in the vicinity of land, dangers and navigational
hazards.”

3. PILOTAGE
REFERENCES
AMN Vol 1 Chap 13, 14 + 15
Mariners Handbook
Sailing Directions
Port Guides
Experience
Pilots Information.

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SOURCES OF INFORMATIONSOURCES OF INFORMATION
a. Largest Scale Chart
b. Sailing Directions
c. Port Guide
d. Tidal Stream in Dockyard Ports
e. Tide Tables & Tidal Stream Atlases
f. ALRS Vol 6
g. Nav Data Book
h. Personal Experience

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CHOICE OF ETACHOICE OF ETA
1. Depths and Dangers with HOT
2. Tidal Streams and Recommended ETAs
(Sailing Directions for Tidal Windows)
3. Time of Day
Daylight, local weather, working
hours, other movements
4. Administrative & Domestic
Fuel, stores, functions
5. Dummy ETA

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SELECTING AND DRAWING TRACKSELECTING AND DRAWING TRACK
1. Calculate, mark and shade LDL
LDL = DRAUGHT + SAFETY (2m) - HOT
2. Isolated Dangers
3. Effect of early / late arrival
4. Selecting track
- Good leading marks
- Centre / Stbd side of channel
- Charted recommended track
- Directions from Sailing Directions
- Blind PIs

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SELECTING AND DRAWING TRACKSELECTING AND DRAWING TRACK
5. Clearing Bearings
a. Distance off danger
- Allow Stern to Std
b. Box in Track
c. Ease of Identification of selected
marks
NMT 221 (SS LT)
NM
T 310 (RHE PIER)

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DISPLACEMENT OF CLEARINGDISPLACEMENT OF CLEARING
BEARING FROM LDLBEARING FROM LDL
•90º = l
•45º = 7/10 l
•
30º = 1/2 l
•
15º = 1/4l
•
l
Angle indicated in each case is the
maximum inclination to the LDL
permissible for that clearing bearing
BRIDGE

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SELECTING AND DRAWING TRACKSELECTING AND DRAWING TRACK
6. Mark distance to run
- to berth, anchorage, ETA
- time past key points
- virtual ETA
7. Mark “Wheel Over” positions
8. Note Tidal Stream & CTS
9. Draw up Blind plan

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CCHHAANNGGEE OOFF HHEEAADDIINNGGRRUUDDDDEERR
AANNGGLLEE
3300°°6600°°9900°°112200°°115500°°118800°°227700°°336600°°
AADDVVAANNCCEE 440088 558822 665577 661188 447711 227722 118899 118844
TTRRAANNSSFFEERR 6600 220033 441100 662288 779955 886699 448877 2244
DDNNCC 330033 446677 665577 997777 -- -- -- --
1155°°
TTIIMMEE 00 5533 11 2233 11 5533 22 3322 22 5511 33 2200 44 4477 66 1100
AADDVVAANNCCEE 227766 339988 445522 443355 335522 222266 8833 115588
TTRRAANNSSFFEERR 3344 111144 223300 337744 448844 553399 331188 2211
DDNNCC 221155 333333 445522 665500 -- -- -- --
2255°°
TTIIMMEE 00 3377 00 5566 11 1166 11 4433 11 5577 22 1177 33 1188 44 1177
AADDVVAANNCCEE 222244 333366 338844 337722 330044 220000 5588 113366
TTRRAANNSSFFEERR 2244 9900 119900 330099 440000 444455 226699 1199
DDNNCC 118833 228822 338844 555500 -- -- -- --
3355°°
TTIIMMEE 00 2299 00 4477 11 0055 11 3300 11 4411 11 5599 22 5544 33 4477
PLANNING W/Os: TURNING DATAPLANNING W/Os: TURNING DATA

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CONSTRUCTING W/Os:CONSTRUCTING W/Os:
ADVANCE, TRANSFER & DNCADVANCE, TRANSFER & DNC
TRANSFER
ADVANCE
DNC
W/O
STEADYING POINT

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WHEEL OVER BEARINGSWHEEL OVER BEARINGS

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WHEEL OVER BEARINGSWHEEL OVER BEARINGS

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OTHER CONSIDERATIONSOTHER CONSIDERATIONS
1. Alternative plan / anchor plan
2. Min depth for each leg (take between clrg bearings)
3. Point of “No Return”
4. Tugs and Pilot
5. Comms, and VHF reporting points
6. Anchors ready for letting go
7. Is plan valid for night entry / exit
8. Plan gyro checks & shoot up bearings

15. PILOTAGE BRIEF
TO COMMAND
Initial Brief - Outline Plan
Detailed Brief (Night before)

16. PILOTAGE
Preparation of NO’s Notebook
Sketch Outline Plan
Full Safety
Bouys / Conspic Pts / Lights
Narrative
SAFE - Not works of Art !!

17. EXECUTION
Transits

18. EXECUTION
Transits
Running a HM / SM

19. EXECUTION
Transits
Running a HM / SM
Taking Over

20. EXECUTION
Transits
Running a HM / SM
Taking Over
Commentary

21. EXECUTION
Transits
Running a HM / SM
Taking Over
Commentary
Use Bridge Team

22. EXECUTION
Transits
Running a HM / SM
Taking Over
Commentary
Use Bridge Team
“Look out the Window”

23. EXECUTION
Transits
Running a HM / SM
Taking Over
Commentary
Use Bridge Team
“Look out the Window”
Actual conditions

24. EXECUTION
Transits
Running a HM / SM
Taking Over
Commentary
Use Bridge Team
“Look out the Window”
Actual conditions
Flexible / Shipping

25. PILOTAGE