Harbor pilot monopoly

[jimbo5544]

I know this subject has been discussed before, but he is an article from Travel Weekly discussing the extremely high salaries and reported monopoly that harbor pilots have.

 

http://www.travelweekly.com/article3_ektid205116.aspx

[golfadj]

At some point the pilots will be killing the goose that laid the golden egg.

 

Hate when people get away with things like this.

 

OK to pay people in accordance with their jobs but what they gouge ships for is outrageous.

[TahoeBob]

I know this subject has been discussed before, but he is an article from Travel Weekly discussing the extremely high salaries and reported monopoly that harbor pilots have.

 

http://www.travelweekly.com/article3_ektid205116.aspx

I just had a price drop on my cruise for the Legend on 11-15 saved me $50.00 PP. The price I paid was $379.00 PP.

 

all this adds up to, I really don't care how much they make as long as I get to take cheap cruises.

[PaulMedik]

I know this subject has been discussed before, but he is an article from Travel Weekly discussing the extremely high salaries and reported monopoly that harbor pilots have.

 

http://www.travelweekly.com/article3_ektid205116.aspx

 

 

jimbo5544,

 

I like this quote from the article;

 

.......................if the 160,000-ton Freedom of the Seas were to dock in Tampa, the pilot fee would be more than $30,000.

 

30k to get the Freedom of the Seas to Tampa's port? I would imagine it would cost more than that to raise the SunShine Skyway Bridge!

Sunshine Skyway's clearance is 175 feet (53 m)

Freedom of the Seas height is 209 ft (63.7 m)

 

Perhaps they could weight the FOS down with something to make her sail lower in the water..........:eek:

[fireofficer5]

OP, don't compare my job with a harbor pilot. Totally different animals.

[Traveler353]

My ex-inlaws family have been Mississippi River pilots for many generations. Licenses are literaly passed down from father to son. Their average yearly income each is over 1/2 million dollars. It is a great gig if you can get it.

[jimbo5544]

OP, don't compare my job with a harbor pilot. Totally different animals.

How was I comparing your job to a harbor pilot???

[Earthworm Jim]

At some point the pilots will be killing the goose that laid the golden egg.

 

I don't know if that so. Sure, $30,000 to assist a ship sounds absolutely ridiculous. (Though there may be liability and therefore very expensive insurance involved which may partially justify the costs) But if Freedom of the Seas has 3000 passengers that still only amounts to $10 each. $10 per person isn't going to be enough to kill the cruise industry in Florida, even if it is exorbitant.

[jimbo5544]

My ex-inlaws family have been Mississippi River pilots for many generations. Licenses are literaly passed down from father to son. Their average yearly income each is over 1/2 million dollars. It is a great gig if you can get it.

Kind of like gondoliers in Venice.....something wrong with the system....imho

think they are referred to as the Venetian mafia.....

[*Mach*]

This has been an issue in Galveston for some time now.

Not only are the pilots making $375,000 a year but they DEMAND that TWO pilots be positioned on board cruise ships as sailing vessels of this size out of the harbor is 'hazardous.'

They have been seeking a 35% wage hike over 5 years but the cruise lines (Carnival and RCCL) have opposed it.

The pilots agreed to drop the requirement for two pilots on board if the cruise lines would drop opposition to the rate hike. What happened to navigation of these ships being 'hazardous'???

http://houston.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2009/09/28/daily13.html

[jimbo5544]

I don't know if that so. Sure, $30,000 to assist a ship sounds absolutely ridiculous. (Though there may be liability and therefore very expensive insurance involved which may partially justify the costs) But if Freedom of the Seas has 3000 passengers that still only amounts to $10 each. $10 per person isn't going to be enough to kill the cruise industry in Florida, even if it is exorbitant.

Your correct, but it all adds up.

[jimbo5544]

This has been an issue in Galveston for some time now.

 

Not only are the pilots making $375,000 a year but they DEMAND that TWO pilots be positioned on board cruise ships as sailing vessels of this size out of the harbor is 'hazardous.'

 

They have been seeking a 35% wage hike over 5 years but the cruise lines (Carnival and RCCL) have opposed it.

 

The pilots agreed to drop the requirement for two pilots on board if the cruise lines would drop opposition to the rate hike. What happened to navigation of these ships being 'hazardous'???

 

http://houston.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2009/09/28/daily13.html

Hey Mach....only hazard is having to pay the bill.

[*Mach*]

Hey Mach....only hazard is having to pay the bill.

 

 

That's for darn sure!

I grew up to be the wrong kind of pilot!! I was making $70,000 to fly a jet! I could have been making five times that to stand on the bridge of a ship and scratch my butt!!!

:eek:

[BIG_Steve]

A couple of times lately, a ship has been blown into another while leaving the dock. Does the harbor/pilot insurance cover that? I've always thought (??) the pilot was at the wheel in a port.

[jimbo5544]

That's for darn sure!

 

I grew up to be the wrong kind of pilot!! I was making $70,000 to fly a jet! I could have been making five times that to stand on the bridge of a ship and scratch my butt!!!

 

:eek:

 

You have to admit, it does sound more dangerous (flying a jet...not biggie take off, land, piece of cake)....don't forget, as a harbor pilot you have to jump from ship to ship as well......:rolleyes:.

[jimbo5544]

A couple of times lately, a ship has been blown into another while leaving the dock. Does the harbor/pilot insurance cover that? I've always thought (??) the pilot was at the wheel in a port.

Good question. Not sure if they actually do the steering or are just in charge.

[Traveler353]

It the same in every harbor and river in the world. It is a system that is as old as there have been people going to sea. Don't look for it to change anytime soon or at all. Way too much money involved for the pilots, unions and politicians that make the laws. When I was doing sailboat charter work in the Dominican Republec I had to pay a harbor captain and pilot every day that I went out. Neither one of them ever set foot on my boat. You pay to play or you go home.

[*Mach*]

You have to admit, it does sound more dangerous (flying a jet...not biggie take off, land, piece of cake)....don't forget, as a harbor pilot you have to jump from ship to ship as well......:rolleyes:.

 

 

Yeah... you're right... that pullin' 9 Gs, managing weapon systems and such is much easier than jumping from one deck to another...

Yep...

:rolleyes:

[*Mach*]

A couple of times lately, a ship has been blown into another while leaving the dock. Does the harbor/pilot insurance cover that? I've always thought (??) the pilot was at the wheel in a port.

 

 

Oceancareers.com enumerates the duties of a pilot:

http://www.oceancareers.com/2.0/career_tasks.php?career_id=33

 

The pilot, it seems, may not be directly exercising the controls of the ship, i.e. activating the thrusters to move the ship but is in operational control of the vessel.

:)

[vencruz]

Do you guys think that lowering the pilots fees will reflect on your cruise price? I don't think so.

I think that the cruise lines will increase the prices if the pilots get a raise though.

Just my opinion, you are free to disagree.

[Traveler353]

Do you guys think that lowering the pilots fees will reflect on your cruise price? I don't think so.

I think that the cruise lines will increase the prices if the pilots get a raise though.

Just my opinion, you are free to disagree.

 

No business wants to have to eat increased operating cost. They will pass it along to the consumer one way or another.

[*Mach*]

Do you guys think that lowering the pilots fees will reflect on your cruise price? I don't think so.

I think that the cruise lines will increase the prices if the pilots get a raise though.

Just my opinion, you are free to disagree.

 

 

Perhaps not but I feel pretty positive that any RISE in the pilot's fees will be reflected in the price of my cruise...

;)

[yogi2929]

I am very happy to have a pilot onboard.

The Pilots know these waters inside and out. No Captain/Master can be 100% certain of the waters in any new port.

 

ex- from the Columbia River Pilots website:

http://www.colrip.com/pages/AboutUs.aspx

 

The Columbia River navigation channel is maintained to an operating depth of 40 feet and 600 feet in width. The distance between the Astoria pilot station and the mouth of the Willamette at Kelley Point is 75 nautical miles. Between Astoria and the sea wall in downtown Portland there are over 90 course changes. The longest straight stretch of river is only about 2 miles in length. This route is one of the most lengthy and demanding pilotage grounds in the world.

[30knotsCruzinspeed]

I remember when my son was on active duty in the Navy, telling me how even the USN had harbor pilots guide his destroyer into ports. I once asked him why use them and not the captain and he said because the harbor pilot is so familiar with the areas waters, that it's safer for him to guide the multi-million dollar ship to port.

[scchasgal]

WOW I knew it was a good salary but not that good.