This is an interview with Patrick Wilson, a bar pilot who is a part of the Mobile Bar Pilots in Mobile, Alabama. Chapters/Questions 0:00 - Introduction to Patrick Wilson 0:15 - What does a bar pilot do? 0:57 - What is the career path to becoming a bar pilot? What education and experience did you need? 2:13 - What's the most challenging situation you've handled while guiding a ship? 3:48 - How has new technology like GPS or advanced radar changed your job, and how much do you still rely on...
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.
Shipbuilder Metal Shark is building a welded aluminum 55’ x 17’ pilot boat for the Pascagoula Bar Pilots Association in Mississippi.
Designed in-house, the new 55 Defiant Pilot being built for Pascagoula Pilots represents the latest evolution in Metal Shark’s pilot boat lineup. The distinctive vessel incorporates the“faceted hull” design initially developed by Metal Shark for the US Navy 40 PB program, and features an enhanced version of Metal Shark’s signature “pillarless glass” in a two-tiered, reverse-raked arrangement.
