Why don't the Pilots wear uniforms?

[CoW mAn]

Why don't the pilots wear uniforms or life jackets?

 

Always looks like we left a drummer behind or something ;p

 

[YOUTUBE]i2IydmdgFXM[/YOUTUBE]

[leaveitallbehind]

They know they are, and the ship's staff know who they are, and they seem to get on and off the ship without an issue. What possible difference could wearing a uniform make? As to a life jacket, I guess that's a personal choice, but again not a concern for anyone else other than them. And BTW, I have seen some pilots wearing one.

[CPT Trips]

Looked like those guys on deck wore flotation devices. Just not the bulky ones us pax get.

[CoW mAn]

What possible difference could wearing a uniform make?

 

To identify them when they're walking around the ship? What if there were an emergency or they needed to rush? If someone in a uniform tries to push past me or not wait in line for an elevator or something I'd be more understanding but if it's just some dude I'd want them to wait their turn like everyone else. Or if there was an emergency and they were telling me what to do, a uniform is a mark of authority.

 

But it's not like I'm upset about it or anything, it's never been an issue, it's just idle curiosity, hence the ;p emoji.

[Ashland]

To identify them when they're walking around the ship? What if there were an emergency or they needed to rush? If someone in a uniform tries to push past me or not wait in line for an elevator or something I'd be more understanding but if it's just some dude I'd want them to wait their turn like everyone else. Or if there was an emergency and they were telling me what to do, a uniform is a mark of authority.

 

But it's not like I'm upset about it or anything, it's never been an issue, it's just idle curiosity, hence the ;p emoji.

They don't "walk around the ship",use the guest elevators or would they have any interaction with guests even in an emergency. They use crew area direct access to do their job and are quickly off the ship.

[CoW mAn]

They don't "walk around the ship",use the guest elevators or would they have any interaction with guests even in an emergency.

 

Really? They get to pick who they interact with in an emergency? There's zero chance we'd all end up in a lifeboat together and they might want someone to know they're an expert in the area?

[Ashland]

Really? They get to pick who they interact with in an emergency? There's zero chance we'd all end up in a lifeboat together and they might want someone to know they're an expert in the area?

I think your "idol curiosity" has gotten you an answer...you just apparently want more..Best of luck :rolleyes:

[Shmoo here]

Why don't the pilots wear uniforms or life jackets?

 

Always looks like we left a drummer behind or something ;p

 

i2IydmdgFXM

I'm trying to recall, most pilots I've seen had some sort of uniform on. Sometimes just a white shirt and dark pants, but a "uniform" nonetheless.

 

And they've all had live vests. Not the big bulky ones we as passengers get, but a flotation vest of some sort.

[LHT28]

I have seen some in uniform & they probably are wearing the self inflating Mustang type life vest not the big orange things

I have seen them with those on is some Countries

[CruiserBruce]

Some pilots do wear uniforms. Most wear vests, at least the ones we have seen on our 21 cruises.

[CoW mAn]

I think your "idol curiosity" has gotten you an answer...you just apparently want more..Best of luck :rolleyes:

 

I'm sorry

[BillB48]

I have seen very few pilots wear a uniform, only in a few small foreign ports where I have seen dark pants, white shirt with four stripe epilates... and not all that frequently. As far as life jackets go, a lot of pilots wear a very low profile device that may be hard to detect. Back then when I occasionally boarded ships via launch with pilots, no one wore personal flotation devices... ah the good old days;p

 

Back in the day pilots had often dressed on the business side meaning suit and tie or at least sport coat and tie, but never anything denoting rank. Where I worked the dress became much more casual over the years and could even include shorts.

[mom says]

Really? They get to pick who they interact with in an emergency? There's zero chance we'd all end up in a lifeboat together and they might want someone to know they're an expert in the area?

You're fantasizing about worst case scenarios. :rolleyes:

 

The only people the pilot would be interacting with would be the bridge crew, because that's where he'd be. And yes, there's almost zero probability that you would find yourself in a lifeboat with him, since pax are evacuated first, along with designated ships crew for each lifeboat.

 

In all probability the only time you'll catch a glimpse of a pilot is when he's hopping into or off the pilot boat.

[CoW mAn]

You're fantasizing about worst case scenarios. :rolleyes:

 

I'm sorry.

 

I'm not fantasizing but whatever, I don't want to argue. I don't get why people are getting so worked up over this - are some of you pilots? I didn't mean to insult anyone. Well whatever I did I'm sorry if my thoughts or questions upset you or anyone else. I'll keep my thoughts and questions to myself. Clearly this is the wrong place for a conversation.

[navybankerteacher]

No uniform is necessary - they have no authority - except on the bridge - and that is limited to advising the captain what maneuvers to make - so they have no need for the "visual" provided by a uniform. Most that I have seen do wear a flotation device - which is just common sense when transferring to/from the pilot boat.

[Floridiana]

I think they wear uniforms, but each country's or pilot station's uniform is different. It may just be trousers and shirts in particular colors. In addition to working on cruise ships, they also have to enter freighters on ladders which might be hanging from deck. A bulky life vest would not be practical. I have never seen a pilot wearing truly casual clothes like workout pants, flip flops and hoody.

[fishywood]

I think if the pilot found himself having to jump in a lifeboat, it would be because the pilot drove the ship into something. He'd be getting off with everyone on the bridge.

 

Pilots do not take the helm. Nobody does except an officer under the cruise line's employ, as authorized by the Captain or his designee (the Staff Captain).

 

As others above have already said, the pilot's job is solely to advise the bridge officers of any issues with sailing in or out of the harbor. They enter the bridge only upon the Captain's approval. Which actually can be denied--thought the obvious result would be the port authority denying future entry of that ship, that Captain, or even the entire cruise line's fleet. A few years ago it nearly came to that in St Kitts when a pilot failed to advise the bridge of an obstruction in the channel; the ship missed it by only a couple feet.

[SadieN]

These pilots seem to be very well trained

http://www.columbiariverbarpilots.com/index.html

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[chengkp75]

Harbor pilots are usually retirees who are alleged experts in details for the local waters. They claim to know more about local reefs, sandbars, currents and winds than the ships Captain does. Many of these "experts" have proven to me that they actually know very little about anything.

 

Ah, so in your expert opinion of ship's technical operation, the pilots know less than you do. Well, I'll rest easy knowing the Purser can navigate the ship. Glad to know that, like a pilot, you can take a blank chart, draw the coastline of your port, draw the underwater depth contours, and accurately place and describe every aid to navigation in the port. The pilot is in the particular port every day, the ship's Captain may call there weekly, or once a year, or never before. I see you adhere to the theory of omniscience of ship's Captains.

 

Most of them know absolutely nothing about the operation of a modern cruise ship. They stand in the corner on the bridge, drink coffee and read newspapers, and occasionally give a course change to the helmsman.

Many ship Captains instruct the pilot not to touch anything.

The ships navigators usually know more about the local waters - thanks to GPS, digital charts, radar, and depthfinders - than the pilot does.

 

The pilots, by law, are not allowed to touch anything, without asking permission, even to simply adjust a range ring on the radar or to designate a target on the radar. But your vast knowledge would know this, so I'm wondering why you bothered to bring it up.

If the ship is relying strictly on GPS, digital charts, radars and depthfinders, they are in serious trouble. Digital charts are only updated when the local authorities update the depth surveys, or location of aids to navigation, and this is not always instantly, and then it must work its way through the various international reporting agencies to the digital chart provider, and then be downloaded. Ask the US Navy about using radar to avoid collisions. And depth sounders will tell you the depth under the hull, at whatever location the transponder is (usually a bit behind the bow), and you don't have enough time to stop when it suddenly says the water is getting shallow. But you already know this.

I have screenshots taken from our ECDIS (Electronic Chart Display and Information System, but you already know this) which takes inputs from GPS, depth sounder, gyro compass, and an electronic chart, and displays the ship's position in real time, when we were transiting up the Amazon river, and the chart shows us several times crossing over an island or a mile or so aground cutting a corner, because the "holy electronic chart" has not been updated by the Brazilian authorities in years, and only the pilots know the correct channel to follow. But you know this.

The pilot usually boards the ship through a shell door in the crew areas, and is escorted by ship staff to the bridge, via crew access areas. They need to be escorted because they would not otherwise be able to find the bridge. Other than the name, they know very little about the ship.

They almost always wear a PFD - personal flotation device - which is a very small inflatable life jacket.

 

No, they are escorted because of the ISPS Code (International Ship and Port Security), which requires escorts for visitors to ships based on several levels of clearance. But you know all this.

 

In an emergency, the Pilot is the very last person I would want to give advice to anyone.

But since they are paid an obscene amount of money for doing basically nothing, you might want to ask the Pilot to recommend a good local upscale restaurant.

 

As for a uniform, most pilots belong to an association that is actually owned by the pilots themselves, and they can set the rules for what to wear. Most do, in fact wear small inflatable lifejackets. There are many different classes of lifejackets, based on who is wearing them, what they are doing, and where in the ocean they are likely to be used. Also, there are things like the Mustang "floater jacket" that's been around for decades, which looks like a jacket or windbreaker, but has flotation built into it.

 

As for identifying a pilot in an emergency, as noted above, the crew does not abandon ship when the passengers do, and they don't get into the lifeboats with the passengers, especially a "supernumerary" like the pilot. So, if a pilot, whether in uniform or not, was pushing past you to get into a lifeboat, feel free to push back, as his local knowledge would have very little effect on how to handle a lifeboat in getting away from the ship or even getting to the dock. So, yes, there would be zero chance of you ending up in a lifeboat with a pilot, or even any of the deck officers or Captain. The only crew getting into a lifeboat with passengers would be the 2-4 assigned as boat crew (16 on the mega-boats on the Oasis class ships and the like, but even then, most of these are stewards, bartenders, waiters, and other hotel staff).

[Bonnie J.]

Why should they? They climb up usually a rope ladder to get on the ship and go directly to the bridge. They seldom, if ever see a passenger. Leaving the port, I have seen them jump back onto the pilot boat- have a picture of one in mid air before he hit the pilot boat deck!

 

A pilot will not be on board in any emergency. He gets on, takes the ship to the pier and gets off. Leaving he takes the ship out and gets off. If the sea is too rough, the ship will not stop at a port, no pilot will be on board!

[donaldsc]

Harbor pilots are usually retirees who are alleged experts in details for the local waters. They claim to know more about local reefs, sandbars, currents and winds than the ships Captain does. Many of these "experts" have proven to me that they actually know very little about anything.

 

Most of them know absolutely nothing about the operation of a modern cruise ship. They stand in the corner on the bridge, drink coffee and read newspapers, and occasionally give a course change to the helmsman.

Many ship Captains instruct the pilot not to touch anything.

The ships navigators usually know more about the local waters - thanks to GPS, digital charts, radar, and depthfinders - than the pilot does.

 

The pilot usually boards the ship through a shell door in the crew areas, and is escorted by ship staff to the bridge, via crew access areas. They need to be escorted because they would not otherwise be able to find the bridge. Other than the name, they know very little about the ship.

They almost always wear a PFD - personal flotation device - which is a very small inflatable life jacket.

 

In an emergency, the Pilot is the very last person I would want to give advice to anyone.

But since they are paid an obscene amount of money for doing basically nothing, you might want to ask the Pilot to recommend a good local upscale restaurant.

 

You are not totally correct w that statement. In the Panama Canal, the pilot is totally and legally in command on the bridge. He calls the shots, not the captain.

 

This is a quote from Wikipedia - "Only in transit of the Panama Canal and in Canada does the pilot have the full responsibility for the navigation of the vessel."

DON

[Aquahound]

Harbor pilots are usually retirees who are alleged experts in details for the local waters. They claim to know more about local reefs, sandbars, currents and winds than the ships Captain does. Many of these "experts" have proven to me that they actually know very little about anything.

 

Are you actually a cruise ship officer? I ask because this isn't the first time I've seen you post something that's blatantly wrong.

[TruckerDave]

You are not totally correct w that statement. In the Panama Canal, the pilot is totally and legally in command on the bridge. He calls the shots, not the captain.

 

This is a quote from Wikipedia - "Only in transit of the Panama Canal and in Canada does the pilot have the full responsibility for the navigation of the vessel."

DON

 

To be fair the Panama Canal is a whole different deal than going in/out of Miami or Charleston.

[Ask4Jay]

I am fascinated by this discussion. What is the nautical equivalent of a Jailhouse lawyer? Maybe an Admiralty Lawyer? Anyhow, lots of half-baked "facts" bandied about. Let's try another one: Why don't letter carriers or bus drivers wear uniforms?

[NMLady]

Really? They get to pick who they interact with in an emergency? There's zero chance we'd all end up in a lifeboat together and they might want someone to know they're an expert in the area?

 

In an emergency their job is on the bridge, not with passengers. I doubt they'd end up in a lifeboat with passengers.