Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1888-05-02
Life on a Pilot Boat.

The ocean pilots lot is not alto.
gether happy one, as was discovered
during the recent blizzard. A New
York newspaper correspondent, who
has passed number of years at sea
and who has taken a number of trips
on pilot boat, writes what he
knows about their hardy masters. He
says; | remember short conversa-
tion which took place between the pi-
lot and the captain of ship once
sailed to Liverpool in, which illus
trates the duties of pilot better than
anything that l know Of The pilot
boarded our ship in st. Georges chan
mel, and was a short, stumpy man
wrapped up in a short beaver coat
which is generally worn by English
pilots. After he was taken on board
the captain called the chief mate aft
and gave him an order. The pilot,
who was walking the poop deck, turn
ed short, gave the captain withering
look and said II am in charge of
this vessel, sir"
VERY well, sir" said the captain,
and countermanded the order. When
a pilot boards vessel the captains S
responsibility ceases. He is virtually
nothing more than passenger until
the vessel comes to anchor in port.
Pilots, take them as a class, are the
best sailors in the world. They are
obliged to be thoroughly familiar with
every rig of vessel, from Dutch gal
lot to man of war. AS a rule they
are better sailors than sea captains,
for it is much more difficult to navi-
gate vessel near land than it is out
at sea. A sea captains duty is to
bring his vessel from one port to an
other, but when he gets in sight of
land and is boarded by the pilot his
duty ends.
The number of pilot boats licensed
to run out of New York harbor is
fixed by law. The boat registers from
forty to seventy tons, and their num-
ber is about thirty. They are all
numbered with enormous black figures
on their mainsails, which can be seen
almost as far as the boat itself. There
are about 200 pilots of different
grades running out of New York.
The would be sailor who wants to be-
come pilot must begin at the lowest
round of the ladder-before the mast.
After he has thoroughly mastered the
duties of the seaman, if he is fortu-
nate he may succeed in being promot.
ed to the position of boatkeeper. The
boatkecper is the captain of the boat.
None of the pilots have anything to
do with their boat unless in case of
necessity. The boatkeeper must serve
three years before he can be admitted
to be examined for license. II by
accident or misfortune he loses his po-
sition he must begin all over again.
His examination is very rigid one.
He must have thorough knowledge
of the coast, tides, etc, for hundreds
of miles around New York harbor.
But even after he has successfully
passed his examination he has not ar
rived at the summit of his ambition.
The first. year Of pilotage he is grant
ed license to pilot vessels drawing un.
der sixteen feet, the next year vessels
drawing eighteen feet or under, and
in the third year he is obliged to pass
4 further examination, after which he
IS entitled to pilot vessels of any
1raught, and is then called branch
Or full pilot.
The pilotage differs according to
he draught of vessels, vessels of small :
lraught paying much less than ves-
els of large draught. Consequently
t often happens that there is much
naneavering between captain and pi-
OF. The captain, who wants the pi- {
otage to be as small as possible, will i
ry to make the draught of his vessel I
appear small, while the pilot, on the {
'ther hand, will endeavor to find out {
he true draught without appearing 8
o doubt the captains word. 1t would I
lot do, of course, to give the captain |
he lie when the actual truth of the
natter was in doubt. 1t happens I
therefore,. that the pilot, in addition !
o his other admirable qualities, must i
ave the art of diplomacy. He must
'e keen Judge OF human nature,
nd it is remarkable how successful
ome of them are in thwarting the de.
igns of the captain. 1t must not be
however, that sea captains
re as class dishonest. As matter
# fact there is not more honest set
# men engaged in any profess ion than
ca captains, but there are, of course
RECEPTIONS to every rule.
The length of pilot boats cruise
|epends entirely on how quick her
rev of pilots succeed in picking up
'esscls, or, rather, how quick they
ucceed in having vessels pick them
p. Seven pilots 60 out in each bo?t,
nd n is remarkable bn,v Sham Tho