Sandy Hook Pilots
The Sandy Hook Pilots are licensed maritime pilots that go aboard oceangoing vessels, passenger liners, freighters, and tankers, usually on the open sea near the entrance to the harbor. The Sandy Hook Pilots Association provides pilotage service for the entire Port of New York and New Jersey, the Hudson River, and Long Island Sound.[1] The peninsulas of Sandy Hook and Rockaway in Lower New York Bay define the southern entrance to the port at the Atlantic Ocean.
History
The Sandy Hook Pilots began in 1694 when the harbors of the New York area were becoming the commercial shipping routes. The Colonial Assembly commissioned a small group of local seamen to help the ship masters. These men became the first Sandy Hook Pilots.
On April 12, 1837, the New York pilot service was renamed the Board of Pilot Commissioners, which consisted of five persons appointed by the board. The board was in charge of licensing the pilots and establishing the rates pilots were to charge for bringing in vessels.[2]:58
In 1860 there were twenty-one New York pilot boats and four under the New Jersey dispensation.[2]:159
| Number | Ship Name | Tons | Number | Ship Name | Tons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1 | Moses H. Grinnell | 90 | No. 12 | Moses H. Grinnell | 90 |
| No. 2 | Edmund Blunt | 120 | No. 13 | Mary Ann | 70 |
| No. 3 | Charles H. Marshall | 110 | No. 14 | Edwin Forrest | 100 |
| No. 4 | Washington | 80 | No. 15 | Edwin J. D. Jones | 115 |
| No. 5 | David Mitchell | 80 | No. 16 | Christian Bergh | 100 |
| No. 6 | Mary and Catherine | 90 | No. 17 | Fannie | 80 |
| No. 7 | Elwood Walter | 100 | No. 18 | Enchantress | 70 |
| No. 8 | Isaac Webb | No. 19 | Mary A. Williams | 90 | |
| No. 9 | James Avery | 80 | No. 20 | Nettle | 65 |
| No. 10 | J. M. Waterbury | 80 | No. 21 | W. H. Aipinwall | 90 |
| No. 11 | USS G. W. Blunt (1861) | 130 |
Civil War
Many of the Sandy Hook men volunteered for naval service during the American Civil War. They helped the Government in blockading about 1,500 miles of coast. Some of the pilots were so skilled that they won tribute from the Federal naval commandants. On September 29, 1864, the William Bell, No. 24 ventured too far out to sea and was captured and burned by the Confederate raiding steamer the CSS Tallahassee.[3]
During the civil war Joseph Henderson (Pilot) (1826-1890) was an early American Sandy Hook pilot. He was a pilot on the transports USS Arago (1861) and USS Fulton (1862), running from Newport News, Virginia to Port Royal, South Carolina.[4]
Author, Charles Edward Russell, wrote about Joseph Henderson and the Sandy Hook men during the Civil War. An excerpt from his book states: “Among the valuable services performed by the Sandy Hook men in that contest was the guiding of naval vessels through the intricate channels of southern waters, conspicuously Albemarle, North Carolina and Pamlico Sound.”[2]
Today
The Sandy Hook Pilots are leading the efforts for a safe and efficient harbor operation. Modern pilot boats are equipped with the latest electronics. Their fleet includes more than a dozen modern vessels.
The Sandy Hook Pilot base is located on Staten Island, New York. Pilot Stations are maintained at the entrance to the Port of New York and New Jersey by Ambrose Light, City Island by Long Island Sound, and Yonkers for the Hudson River."[1]
The Board of Commissioners of Pilots is a public agency, created by the New York State Legislature, to provide for the selection, training, licensing, and regulation of pilots, who navigate oceangoing vessels, which operate on New York State waters and Connecticut and New Jersey waters.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Sandy Hook Pilots".
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Charles Edward Russell, From Sandy Hook to 62°, 1929
- ↑ United States. Dept. of State, Geneva Arbitration Tribunal - 1872
- ↑ The Evening World, Extra 2 O'clock Newspaper, October 9, 1890
External links
- "Board of Commissioners of Pilots".
- BOATLIFT, An Untold Tale of 9/11 Resilience The largest sea evacuation in history. Tom Hanks narrates the epic story of the 9/11 boatlift that evacuated half a million (500,000) people from the stricken piers and seawalls of Lower Manhattan in nine (9) hours. Sandy Hook Pilots were significantly represented in the event. Captain Andrew McGovern (SHPA president) is interviewed in this video. Produced and directed by Eddie Rosenstein.
- NY & NJ Holds Waterfront Conference 2002 Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of the City of New York, on behalf of the crews of the tugboats that played life-saving and evacuation roles on September 11, 2001 presented "Hero of the Harbor" awards.
- Fiore, Kristina (December 20, 2013). "Leading Giants by the Helm The bigger the ship, the safer it is at sea—and the more it needs the coastal knowledge and experience of the Sandy Hook Pilots to lead it to and from port without mishap.". New Jersey Monthly.
- Finn, Robin (June 15, 2011). "Learning to Navigate in the City’s Rough Waters". The New York Times.