Pilotage Laws 1888

July 15th, 2005 by JCB
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PILOTAGE LAWS 1888

 

At a time when the UKMPA are working to draw up a new Pilotage Act including provisions to incorporate the relevant sections of the Port Marine Safety Code it is timely to look back at pilotage history. The following are extracts from a paper tabled at the 1888 UKPA Conference by Commander Cawley. It is equally valid today!

I am of opinion that the whole fabric of pilotage law is so rotten and one-sided that, any attempt to renovate or patch it up would be an inconvenient and a dangerous makeshift. This pilotage question, as well as others of a pelagic nature, must be dealt with in detail by seamen, thorough masters of their profession, for in dealing with this matter immense and continuous responsibilities are involved only known to mature nautical experts.

It must be admitted that pilots were originally appointed for no other purpose than that of enhancing the security to life. I am fully convinced that it is absolutely essential to the safety of human life. I say it (and not without serious and deliberate consideration), that pilotage and the ef.ciency of the pilotage service plays no unimportant part in the safety of “all those who go down to the sea in ships.” Where life is at stake, and its security so indissolubly and indisputably connected with this service, I, as a competent British seaman, would ask your honourable Committee to pause and consider the dreadful responsibilities that would arise if any unwise interference with this pilotage service should be contemplated and of all the dangerous and immediate perils encountered by those who travel by sea, those perils the pilots were formed to counteract and combat. It takes time to gain the ear of the thinking people of this country to the grave importance of this subject.  It is connected with their safety and directly and indirectly concerns them, but, like all other matters, it requires patience and perseverance to bring it to their knowledge. I wish to preserve the pilotage system in all its present ef.ciency, and, where possible, make it more ef.cient. In doing so I am endeavoring to extend to those seamen who will come after me those great bene.ts of security to life which a wise generation thought .t to establish for the safety of seamen centuries ago and which is as essential now (even more so) than it was then. If it is essential that pilots should be appointed, it is also the duty of the State who appointed them that they should live in safety and in contentment and in peace.

Some may be in doubt of this great service the British pilots render the sea traveling public. I have no such doubt, in fact I am awfully and piously impressed with its stupendous importance. They carry the greyhounds of the sea from Liverpool and from London, frequently with thousands of lives on board and a pilots’ skillfulness is so great that a passenger takes it as a matter of course there is no danger and is devoid of fear as long as the pilot is on board. Let any large passenger line of steamers advertise they intend dispensing with the services of pilots, and in future those services will be performed by other persons, or the already too much overworked Ship-Master. I am of opinion that if a general pilotage law be contemplated based on sound and equitable principles that that law should be given a fair chance and that every public body who were in any way affected by its provisions should not be able to neutralise any of its provisions or effects by an Order in Council cunningly introduced and sedulously carried into effect.  We wish no piece-meal legislation but let all abide by the fundamental principles of any new statutes, of course, leaving full scope to local bodies to ensure ef.ciency in their pilotage service and other matters of a local nature by the formation of bye-laws suitable to that particular district, but which shall not be in any way antagonistic to the principle Bill.

The indiscriminate granting of pilotage certi.cates to Masters and

mates is a dangerous law, inasmuch as it legalises incompetency, and

instead of ensuring positive safety it not only renders the possessor of

this super.cial knowledge a danger to himself, but also to those in

other vessels who have accepted the services of a real quali.ed pilot

117 years later?? JCB