Bar pilot?

[Guest]

Hi im starting my cadetship this september and ive recently read into a bar pilot and i really like the sound of the job and just want to know how hard it is to become a bar pilot and what i have to do to become one? thanks

[Chiefy]

Re: Bar pilot?

A what? Never heard of it / them...linkage?

[Randomist]

Re: Bar pilot?

A maritime pilot speaks for itself, a bar is an underwater formation. Are you referring to an area of the world where a specific pilot is required to pass over such a landmark?

[Chiefy]

Re: Bar pilot?

Ahhhhh that would make sense

[Guest]

Re: Bar pilot?

Okay forget bar pilot what about VLCC and ULCC are these types of ships hard to get onto, what experience would the require? Thank you

[Faust]

Re: Bar pilot?

viewtopic.php?f=63&t=1829&p=17090&hilit=getting+on +VLCC#p17090

[size4riggerboots]

Re: Bar pilot?

To become a pilot you first need to get your masters ticket, so you're looking at an absolute minimum of 3 years study to get your OOW, then a further 12 or 18 months sea time to get your mates ticket, then a further 12 or 18 months sea time to get your masters. Of course, having the ticket, doesn't mean you get to sail at that rank, companies generally prefer people to have a ticket above the rank they sail at, and most importantly of all, experience!

So once you've got all that, to get your pilot's ticket you have to become very familiar with the area you'll be piloting in, studying under qualified pilots for the area, and then complete a number of pilotage runs, probably on a variety of ships. On the ferry I'm on the officers (who are all qualified to master's level) have to do 12 port entries before they can get their PEC (Pilot Exemption Certificate). They have to do that for Dublin and Holyhead. That's only an exemption though, I don't think they're qualified to pilot other vessels in and out of those ports.

To get on ULCCs or VLCCs, you'd be best off applying to BP, Shell and Chevron, i.e. tanker companies. You might get some experience on the big ones and when you've got your OOW you'll have the right qualifications (Tankers have extra requirements) to start applying for jobs on the big boys.

[YoungMariner]

Re: Bar pilot?

Actually, believe it or not, a Masters Unlimited CoC isn't a legal requirement to be a marine pilot, however it is often prerequesit for most port authorities.

[GuinnessMan]

Re: Bar pilot?

To become a pilot you first need to get your masters ticket, so you're looking at 3 years study to get your OOW, then a further 12 or 18 months sea time to get your mates ticket, then a further 12 or 18 months sea time to get your masters. To get your pilot's ticket you have to become very familiar with the area you'll be piloting in, studying under qualified pilots for the area, and then complete a number of pilotage runs, probably on a variety of ships. On the ferry I'm on the officers (who are all qualified to master's level) have to do 12 port entries before they can get their PEC (Pilot Exemption Certificate). They have to do that for Dublin and Holyhead. That's only an exemption though, I don't think they're qualified to pilot other vessels in and out of those ports.

To get on ULCCs or VLCCs, you'd be best off applying to BP, Shell and Chevron, i.e. tanker companies. You might get some experience on the big ones and when you've got your OOW you'll have the right qualifications (Tankers have extra requirements) to start applying for jobs on the big boys.

I just need to make one or two comments here.

A) Just because you've got a Mate's or Master's ticket does not mean you will automatically start working at that level. No company will hire you as a Master straight after getting the license. They will want you to serve as a sort of "under-study" to the rank and receive good reviews from senior officers before they will even begin to consider promoting you (take a look at your companies SMS and procedures manual. It will be in there somewhere).

B) Rising up to being a Captain after getting your required 36 months sea time and passing the exam may sound great, but it isn't. This somewhat links in to my point above, you need to get a decent level of experience first. Lack of experience in the senior officers has been a key factor in several incidents which have resulted in crew members being killed (don't ask me to go into detail or name ships).

C) Tankers and tanker companies have to comply with the "recommendations" for OCIFM SIRE (google it). One part of this is the crew matrix which lists every officer on board, their experience on tankers and in their present rank and is normally done in Years/Months. Some terminals in Europe and the US will actually reject a tanker for loading before they will do an inspection if the Master or Chief Mate has less than X years of experience in command and a number of companies will hire on this basis. It leads to the old argument of "How do I get the experience without doing the job?" I know. OCIFM SIRE and TMSA are huge things in the tanker world, and even though they are "voluntary", it's best to view them as requirements.

D) From an Engineering point of view, there arn't that many differences between an Engine Room on a tanker or that of a container ship, it's just that your focus will be on different pieces of machinery during cargo ops. On tankers, it'll be the boilers and the turbines (if it's not FRAMO or Electric). From a deck point of view it makes a huge difference as these are two completely different types of cargo. On tankers you have the whole control of the pumps and valves to contend with which can be quite tricky, even to seasoned officers (damaging a remote valve at the bottom of a cargo tank on a VLCC won't make you very popular with the Engineers on board).

E) If you wanted to join a VLCC or a ULCC as a qualified officer, then the minimum they would expect would be a tanker fam course + an Oil DCE (Dangerous Cargo Endorsement) and at least one or two trips on board an oil tanker (dependent on the type of oil being carried; white oils or black oils for instance). As a cadet, then do as S4 says and apply to BP, Shell, etc.

[size4riggerboots]

Re: Bar pilot?

I never said you'd automatically be a Captain just because you have your masters ticket... Just said you'd need the ticket. Ok, so as AM says, it's not a legal requirement, but you'd have a tough job getting a pilots job without it.

Was talking to the mate today and he confirmed to me that they are only exempt from taking a pilot when conning certain ships, i.e. for these guys they could use their exemption on the Adventurer, Nordica or HSS (all the Stena ships that run the Holyhead-Dublin route), but no others. And, getting a full pilots ticket involves months of training under experienced pilots (after having first got to the level mentioned above!)

[minchmermaid]

Re: Bar pilot?

Actually it can be quite simple to become a pilot. It all depends on the requirements of the relavent port authority. You might have to learn a chart of by heart and complete a few runs with an experienced pilot or you might have to get your Master's ticket, memorise loads of charts and spend months shadowing an experienced pilot.

[Chiefy]

Re: Bar pilot?

In Whitby the advert had a disclaimer on the bottom (when they where looking for new harbor pilot).....

A Large print version of this advert is available, for a Braille version please call us.....

A braille version of an application form to become a Harbor Pilot?!

[steamer]

Re: Bar pilot?

That's one for the telegraph surely!!!

[YoungMariner]

Re: Bar pilot?

Not sure if you can read braille when your blind drunk, but would give it a go.

[Chiefy]

Re: Bar pilot?

That's one for the telegraph surely!!!

IIRC it was in the Telegraph