A Pilot Boat is a type of boat used to transport pilots between land and the inbound or outbound ships that they are piloting.
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The origins of the word pilot probably disseminates from the Latin word pilota, a variation of pedota, the plural of pēdón which translates as oar. There is also evidence the word pylotte was also used, again a variation from pedota. The word originated from around 1520-1530.[1]
However, the work functions of the pilot go back to Ancient Greece and Roman times, when locally experienced harbour captains, mainly local fishermen, were employed by incoming ships captains to safely bring into port their trading vessels. Eventually, in light of the need to regulate the act of pilotage and ensure pilots had adequate insurance, the harbours themselves licensed pilots for each harbour.
Although licensed by the harbour to operate within their jurisdiction, pilots were generally self-employed, meaning that they had to have quick transport to get them from the port to the incoming ships. As pilots were often still dual-employed, they hence used their own fishing boats to reach the incoming vessels. But fishing boats were heavy working boats, and filled with fishing equipment, and so hence a new type of boat was required.
Early boats were developed from single masted cutters and twin masted yawls, and latterly into the specialist pilot cutter. These were effectively light-weigh and over powered single masted boats with large steeply angled keels, making them deep draft under power and shallow draft in lighter sail.
If legend is to believed the first official Bristol Channel pilot was barge master George James Ray, appointed by the Corporation of Bristol in May 1497 to pilot John Cabot's Matthew from Bristol harbour to the open sea beyond the Bristol channel. In 1837 Pilot George Ray guided Brunel's SS Great Western, and in 1844 William Ray piloted the larger SS Great Britain on her maiden voyage.[2]
Modern Pilot boats can be from 20 feet to over 75 feet in length, built to withstand heavy seas and bumping against 100,000 ton tanker ships, they are high powered and hence both very quick and durable, purpose built boats. They are normally painted a highly visible colour such as orange, red or yellow.
A pilot boat can be identified by the red and white signal flag or H(otel) signal flag during daytime and showing a white light over a red light at night. Pilot boats also normally have the word "PILOT" written in large black letters on both sides of the cabin. Some harbors that require offshore boarding will find pilot boats on station for many hours in the worst of weather conditions including tropical cyclones.