856-015-0011 Pilot Licensing Requirements - Columbia & Willamette River Pilotage Ground - Grade "C" License (1) A Grade "C" pilot license issued by the Board authorizes the holder to pilot vessels up to 601 feet length overall (L.O.A.) on the Columbia & Willamette River pilotage ground, except a Grade "C" pilot shall not pilot tankers or vessels with a draft of 38 feet or greater. Additional restrictions, grades, and degrees of licenses for the Columbia & Willamette River pilotage ground are contained in OAR 856-015-0035. (2) In addition to the requirements in OAR 856-015-0010(1), (2), (3), (4) and (5), to qualify for a Grade "C" license over the Columbia & Willamette River pilotage ground, the applicant shall, prior to taking the written training assessment required under OAR 856-015-0010(1): (a) Hold a valid trainee license for the Columbia & Willamette River pilotage ground for at least 270 days. (b) Complete at least six (6) trips under the supervision of an unlimited state-licensed pilot while on the bridge of a ship of not less than 500 feet L.O.A. into the upper harbor in Portland above the Burlington Northern Railroad Bridge, including at least one trip in each direction. The training course monitor may defer satisfaction of the requirement for trips through the Burlington Northern Railroad Bridge if insufficient training trip opportunities through that bridge are available, provided that any license issued without fully satisfying this subsection will be restricted to below the Burlington Northern Railroad Bridge until the requirements of this subsection are fully satisfied, and provided further that the holder of such a restricted license must complete the requirements at the earliest opportunity training trips through the Burlington Northern Railroad Bridge are available. (c) Complete at least 110 transits while on the bridge of a ship of not less than 500 feet L.O.A. within the 270 days preceding the written training assessment required under OAR 856-015-0010(1), with at least 70 of these transits made under the supervision of an unlimited state-licensed pilot and at least 80 of the transits completed within 150 days after the first transit is completed. When combining trip segments to establish a transit, each trip segment may be used only once. (d) Complete at least six (6) trips under the supervision of an unlimited state-licensed pilot within the 270 days preceding the written training assessment required under OAR 856-015-0010(1) while on the bridge of a ship of not less than 500 feet L.O.A. in a combination of the following directions, with at least three (3) trips in each direction: (A) From the Willamette River, turning east (upstream) into the Columbia River; and (B) From the Columbia River upstream of the mouth of the Willamette River, turning south into the Willamette River. (e) Complete at least ten (10) trips in either direction between Astoria and Longview or Kalama under the supervision of an unlimited state-licensed pilot. (f) Complete at least four (4) trips from dock to dock or anchor to dock while on ships not less than 500 feet L.O.A. while under the supervision of an unlimited state-licensed pilot, with each such trip requiring a 180 degree turn before docking. (g) Train at least 25 additional days as directed by the training course monitor, with assignments chosen at the discretion of the training course monitor that may include, but need not be limited to, shipboard training, electronic navigation training, manned model training, attendance at meetings with maritime-related governmental agencies or exposure to maritime related administrative activities. (h) Present recommendations from the training course monitor and from at least ten (10) unlimited state-licensed pilots who participated in the training, certifying that the applicant has demonstrated sufficient knowledge and shiphandling skills to pilot ocean-going ships up to 601 feet L.O.A. on the pilotage ground. Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 776.115 Statutes/Other Implemented: ORS 776.115 & ORS 776.300 History: BMP 13-2025, amend filed 09/30/2025, effective 09/30/2025 BMP 9-2025, amend filed 05/12/2025, effective 05/12/2025 BMP 14-2024, amend filed 09/13/2024, effective 09/13/2024 BMP 1-2022, amend filed 05/13/2022, effective 05/13/2022 BMP 5-2019, amend filed 05/14/2019, effective 05/14/2019 BMP 23-2018, adopt filed 09/13/2018, effective 09/13/2018