Article

Be A San Francisco Bar Pilot: Pilot Trainee Training Program

published on 15 March 2022 - 304 -

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The Board of Pilot Commissioners administers a maritime pilot training program. Graduates of the program become Board-licensed maritime pilots. Entrance into the program is via a selection examination.

Before submitting an application: The minimum requirements for entrance into the Pilot Trainee Training Program, are outlined in California Code of Regulations, Title 7, Subsection 213. The Board has initiated regulatory changes that will put in place new minimum experience qualifications to qualify for the exam. These will include allowing Chief Mate experience, piloting in other jurisdictions, and lower tug tonnage requirements. These rule changes can be found here. Applicants who do not meet the minimum qualifications will not be admitted to the examination.

2022 Pilot Trainee Training Program Selection Examination

The next Pilot Trainee Training Program Selection Examination will be held in June 2022 at the California State University Maritime Academy (Cal Maritime) in Vallejo, California.

2022 Exam Application
Trainee-Applicant-Handbook-2022
BOPC Exam Press Release 2022
FAQ – How to become a pilot trainee – Frequently asked questions
2019 Trainee Written Exam Reference List (this will be updated when written exam is finalized)
2019 Trainee Exam Simulator Orientation Video

San Francisco Bar Pilots

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Video arrival cargo seaship tug & pilot CQEN6 IMO 9750579

published on 14 April 2023

https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:3628841/mmsi:255806433/imo:9750579/vessel:VESTVIND
https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:143113/mmsi:211644150/imo:0/vessel:IZURDIA

Video Pilot Boat "Servus", Denmark

published on 11 March 2021

pilot boat

Video Dover's Marine Pilots: A Hazardous Job, A Vital Role: Shining a Light on ...

published on 23 June 2026

In last night's first episode of our second TV series, Dover 24/7: Britain's Busiest Port, viewers saw Duty Harbour Master and trained Class 1 Pilot, Guy South, board the cargo vessel AAL Antwerp on her inaugural call to Dover after an incredible 92-day voyage from China.

Video Pilot Boarding A Vessel Via Ship's Crane

published on 30 April 2020

Article Marine-Pilots.com celebrates its first anniversary these days!

by Frank Diegel - published on 26 October 2020

International Marine pilot platform for information and knowledge exchange an acute necessity.

Video New Ships Orderbook - All current and future new buildings since 2015

published on 1 December 2019

The New Ships Orderbook is an analysis and research online tool for the maritime industry. We publish actually as well as expected or rumored ship orders in the international shipping market. Our Database contains all the vessels which have been delivered since January 2015 as well as yard and owner contacts. Get the information today about the ships of tomorrow! The "New Ships Orderbook" is an analysis and research tool for the maritime industry. It publishes actual as well expected vessel...

Article Final Report following the loss of containers from MSC ZOE (1/1/2019)

by Marine-Pilots.com - published on 29 June 2020

On the night of January 1, 2019, MSC Zoe lost approximately 290 containers in heavy weather on the journey from Portugal to Bremerhaven. The loss of so many containers is an exceptional event and is the second largest known container loss of a ship due to heavy weather.

Opinion "U-Turn" by Ahmed Sati

by Dr. Captain Ahmed Sati - published on 29 April 2025

Discover your true worth, you're not searching for gold, you are the gold!

Article Human Factor in Navigation: Overview of Cognitive Load Measurement during Simulated Navigational Tasks

published on 3 February 2022

This paper is intended to give an overview of the experiments to evaluate the cognitive load of the officer on watch (OOW) during a collision avoidance maneuver in a full-mission simulator. The main goal is to investigate the possibilities of recording the biometric parameters of an OOW during a simulated collision avoidance maneuver.

Video Port Everglades Pilots Crane Arrival

published on 19 November 2020

On November 17th 2020 Port Everglades Pilot Mark Ruppert brought the ship Zhen Hua 25 into Port Everglades. The ship was loaded with 3 huge gantry cranes, a crucial part of the port expansion project.
Found on YouTube. Filmed and produced by Captain Carl Mahler
Editor's note: Great video but where is the life jacket? 1:36