Florida Harbor Pilots Association

______
NEWS

November/December 2014

Did You Know?

CONTACT FHPA
Captain Stuart Lilly
PO Box 38294
Tallahassee, FL 32315
(850) 224-0219 office
(305) 725-2543 cell
kp84@yahoo.com

PortMiami broke a world record in 2014 by processing 4.8

million multi-day cruise passengers in fiscal year 2014 .
-MiamiDade.gov

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

The Role of Harbor Pilots
Every year, tens of thousands of
commercial ships enter Floridas
deepwater ports. They carry
millions of tons of cargo and
millions of passengers, having a
$66 billion wealth effect on
Florida. On the navigational
bridge of nearly every ship is a Florida harbor pilots attend the national convention
state-licensed harbor pilot, controlling its navigation. Like every other coastal
state in America and every commercial seaport in the world, Floridas harbor
pilots are responsible for the safe navigation of these ships 24 hours a day, 7 days
a week, 365 days a year.
The proven system of state-licensed harbor pilots continues to keep Floridas
ports safer and commerce moving more efficiently. Navigational safety is not left
to the whims of ship captains who typically have never transited a Florida port,
are under economic pressure to maximize profit and have ship owners interest in
mind.

ON THE HORIZON
Remember, if you have a
newsworthy item to share, please
submit the complete details to:
Kristen Bridges at
kristen@bascomllc.com
or (850) 222-2140.

In Florida, there are 100 expert harbor pilots, providing the essential service of
navigational safety to the state and its taxpayers at no cost. Every pilot
organization is required by law to provide a safe, reliable and efficient pilot
service. Seaports never sleep, so every pilot group maintains an around-the-clock
service with pilot boats, pilot stations, boat docks and dispatching offices.
So what separates the ship captains from harbor pilots?
Harbor pilots have independent judgment that insulates them from commercial
pressures. Safety is first. For example, if high winds demand the use of tugboats
for handling a ship, the harbor pilots judgment is not clouded by pressures to
save money for the ship owner by not using tugs.
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Florida Harbor Pilots Association

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Harbor pilots are locally-trained experts in ship handling in narrow, congested

channels. Every seaport is different from the next, so Floridas harbor pilots
complete a two- to three-year intensive training program only in the port for which
they are licensed, guaranteeing that harbor pilots are specialists in their port. Harbor
pilots are regularly consulted for their navigational expertise by seaport directors to
assess the safety and feasibility of bigger ships.
Harbor pilots work as a team and local coordination is essential. For example, there
could be six ships moving simultaneously on Tampa Bay or in PortMiami with a
harbor pilot on the bridge of each ship. While ship captains know only their ship, Governor Rick Scott & Canaveral Pilots
harbor pilots have years of experience on all ship types and have expert local knowledge of the port they serve. A team
of harbor pilots; thus, efficiently manage the flow of commerce within that unique port.
Harbor pilots are not state or county employees, they are not tugboat operators or pilot boat drivers, they are not cruise
ship employees, and they are not advisors to ship captains their job is to direct and control the ships navigation.
Every day, their licenses are on the line. Harbor pilots are not distracted by responsibilities other than navigation. Harbor
pilots operate businesses, make permanent investments in infrastructure and serve a public purpose of ensuring
navigation safety.
What does a harbor pilot cost the ship owner?
While safety costs money, reasonable rates keep Floridas ports competitive in the region. Piloting services are provided
to the state and its citizens at no cost. The largest cruise ports in the world are in Florida and have the lowest pilotage
fees on the East Coast and most ports on the Gulf Coast. Harbor pilot costs are a fraction of a percent of ship owners
operating costs.
While there are plenty of ships that are exempt from taking a state-licensed harbor pilot, most of those ships, whether oil
tankers or military ships, still hire state-licensed harbor pilots. Why? Because they value the pilot service as a low-cost
provider of safety.
Captain Stuart Lilly, President, Florida Harbor Pilots Association

FHPA SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT COMPLETES INTERNSHIP WITH TAMPA PILOTS

Each year, the Florida Harbor Pilots Association identifies two minority cadets
attending any of the six maritime colleges nationwide who show enthusiasm and
aptitude for a possible career track as a harbor pilot within the State of Florida.
For more information on FHPA scholarships, please visit http://bit.ly/1jzqtNM.
LeRoid Jones, a Sophomore at the US Merchant Marine Academy, receiving his FHPA scholarship during
his internship with the Tampa Bay Pilots Association.

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