Date: 24.02.2020
Author: Lara
Position: Bermuda
Etmal: 0 nM

During our voyage we have discovered many countries and islands. For visiting these places one of the most important things is reaching the berth safely.

Because of the fact that we are most of the time new at a place and the water isn’t safe for example because of huge rocks, wrecks, shallows or other reasons, we get somebody on board that knows these dangers.

These people are called PILOTS.

Pilots earlier

Since the 15th century, men were called pilots because they had the responsibility to get the crew, passenger, cargo and the ship safe from A to B. Because of their knowledge they were a part of the elite of society (especially the Portuguese pilots).

These Days

The pilot drives with a little boat next to the ship he has to join, and then he climbs up the rail.

These days the pilot is for local passages, he comes on board for helping the captain on the bridge to navigate the ship without any damages. The command and responsibility does still have the captain.

The only exception in the world is the Panama canal. In the Panama canal the pilot is responsible for the ship and he takes over the tasks from the captain for these moments, while he´s joining.

He also gives the helmsmen the course he has to steer. In the Panama canal you get two different pilots and 22 linesmen (The linesmen are the people who are fixing the mooring lines).

So you have one pilot and 11 linesmen for one section and after a while they will be changed.

Pilots around the world

In the world are places where you don’t only have one or two pilots, when you want to get to the bearth. In Hamburg you have for example three different pilots.

There is one for the passage between Deutsche Bucht and Cuxhaven, another one that stays short before Hamburg and the last one is for the port.

In Bermuda we only got one Pilot, but he was the most elegant looking pilot we ever had on board. He wore a black suit with golden buttons and a hat.                                                                               

Greetings:

An meine Familie und Freunde: hab euch lieb  und viele Grüße an meine Schule