Pilot on board

[happy daze john in oz]

Hi Jim
as far s I'm aware its the Captain, the pilot's for the local knowledge and advice.

Unless going through the canal then the pilot has total command.

[Ivan Cloherty]

Unless going through the canal then the pilot has total command.

May beg to differ on that one John, see #4 and #6, in a court case the Master is always ultimately responsible for his ship and even in the Panama Canal theoretically the Pilot may be in 'full' control, if the Master or navigating officer feels that the pilot is putting their vessel into obvious danger then they have the authority to take action to avoid that danger even if it goes against pilot's 'advice'. But if I remember rightly most Panama transits have two pilots on board now to avoid that situation arising and shore monitoring stations track the vessel in real time and record all the orders given; so it is highly unlikely, except in dire circumstances, that a difference of opinion twixt Master and Pilot will arise in this day and age.

[Keith Tindell]

I would still love to know the facts with regard to the Costa Concordia helmsman being found guilty after that fiasco. Unless he threw the helm over or some such action, certainly beats me KT

[Ivan Cloherty]

I would still love to know the facts with regard to the Costa Concordia helmsman being found guilty after that fiasco. Unless he threw the helm over or some such action, certainly beats me KT

It's called Italian justice, a scapegoat for the sake of appeasing the Press

[John Arton]

Re. Panama Canal Pilots
On the forest product ships we used to carry 6 pilots. 2 stationed fwd on port and stbd sides, 2 on bridge wings and 1 at the steering position, all on duty when entering and leaving the locks. On one transit I asked the senior pilot why we had 6 pilots on board when only 5 were actually working, his reply was "in case one of us drops dead".
rgds
JA