Video

“Harbor Pilot” 1960s Los Angeles Harbor Freighters & Ships Education Film

published on 25 June 2020 - 933 -

Show comment section |

Harbor Pilot is a short film from 1967 that gives viewers a brief look at what a harbor pilot is and does. The film opens with footage of a sailboat sailing at sea, followed by a shot of a rocky coastline (01:10) and then an aerial view of a modern harbor — the Port of Los Angeles. A large freight ship, SS Gemstone, is out at sea. A harbor pilot stands on land at the Port of Los Angeles, looking out over the harbor. He walks into the pilot station at the entrance to the harbor to check the schedule. He looks through a telescope for an incoming ship (02:35). The pilot walks out onto the dock and climbs into the pilot boat, which he then steers to the incoming ship (03:49). The harbor pilot climbs out of the boat and up the side of the ship. On the bridge, he meets with the ship’s captain and tells the man at the wheel where to go to stay in deep water. The ship moves in toward the docks with the assistance of tugboats (05:10). The film shows several different kinds of buoys out in the harbor. A big dredging machine dredges the harbor (06:25); sand and rocks are pumped through a pipe and onto land. Viewers see ships as they pass each other in the harbor (07:00). A tugboat pushes the ship sideways to get it next to the dock. A heavy rope is lowered from the ship and is tied to the dock. The harbor pilot stands on another large ship as it leaves port and moves through harbor out to sea. A pilot boat comes out to the ship to get the harbor pilot and take him back to shore (08:59). The harbor pilot stands at the bow of the pilot boat as it moves back to port.A maritime pilot, marine pilot, harbor pilot, bar pilot, or simply pilot, is a sailor who maneuvers ships through dangerous or congested waters, such as harbors or river mouths. They are navigational experts possessing knowledge of the particular waterway such as its depth, currents, and hazards.Normally, the pilot joins an incoming ship prior to the ship's entry into the shallow water at the designated "pilot boarding area" via helicopter or pilot boat and climbs a pilot ladder sometimes up to 40 feet (~12 metres) to the deck of the largest container and tanker ships. Climbing the pilot ladder can be dangerous, even more so in rough seas considering that both the ship to be piloted and the pilot's own vessel are usually both moving. With outgoing vessels, a pilot boat returns the pilot to land after the ship has successfully negotiated coastal waters. The film was made by Arthur Evans, John and Barbara Upton, and Walter Soul, and released by Bailey Films.

USA

Los Angeles Port Pilots

What's your opinion on this?

Article A journey back in time: films of pilotage from 1940 to 1975 (USA, UK and Germany)

by Frank Diegel - published on 18 May 2020

Let us start a journey back in time. Back to the black and white films of history. The times have changed, but it is good to know what kind of things have changed and where are the roots of pilotage.

Article Los Angeles Pilot Service Commissions Two New Pilot Boats

published on 15 October 2020

The Los Angeles Pilot Service ordered two customized 56′ Camarc Design pilot boats (P/B) built by Vigor Industrial at their Vancouver, WA facility, located on the northern side of the Columbia River. The LA Pilot Service took delivery of the P/B Angels Pilot and Angels Navigator at Vigor’s shipyard on Swan Island in Portland, Oregon in early October.

Video Look at Life - Pilot Aboard 1963

published on 17 December 2019

Look at Life Vol 01 Transport Pilot Aboard 1963
The story of Britain's pilotage services.

Article Safety Training Course for Maritime Pilots and Pilot Boat Crews (Germany)

by Bundeslotsenkammer - published on 12 June 2026

Since 2019, the German Federal Pilotage Chamber (Bundeslotsenkammer, BLK), in cooperation with Hamburg Port Services GmbH (HPS), has been offering a three-day safety training course specifically designed for maritime pilots and pilot boat crews at a training center in Bremerhaven, Germany.

Article New performance standard for pilot transfer arrangements

by IMPA - International Maritime Pilots’ Association - published on 14 June 2024

This week, the International Maritime Organization Sub-Committee responsible for developing amendments to SOLAS regulation V/23 and associated instruments (NCSR 11) finalized a new performance standard for pilot transfer arrangements, which is expected to be made mandatory by SOLAS and apply to new and existing SOLAS and non-SOLAS ships from 1 January 2028.

Video M/T TOWER BRIDGE inbound to Europoort

published on 20 July 2020

The 186 m long M/T TOWER BRIDGE is inbound to Oil harbour 4, Shell 101 berth. We were assisted by two Boluda tugs, REBEL and HUDSON and the Rotterdam Boatmen.

Video How Cargo Ships Navigate the World's Most Treacherous Bay

published on 10 December 2025

Play World of Warships for Free! Click my link to join the battle and unlock exclusive rewards. https://wo.ws/SamEckholm For over 150 years, the San Francisco Bar Pilots have guided the world’s largest ships through one of the most dangerous stretches of water anywhere on Earth. In this episode, I'm taking you out to sea with the pilots to see what it actually takes to navigate these vessels through the Golden Gate. Follow Along Here: --------------------------------------------- 📸...

Video Introduction to pilotage in Japan.

published on 23 June 2021

This video was produced in September 2013 to provide an easy-to-understand introduction to pilotage in Japan.

Article Helmsman and pilots were operating with different goals

published on 22 April 2025

An ATSB interim report outlines the sequence of events leading to the collision between the container vessel Maersk Shekou and the berthed tall ship STS Leeuwin II in Fremantle on 30 August 2024.

Article Sixth High-Speed Launch for Delta Pilots

by Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding - published on 27 November 2019

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.