What is pilotage?
Pilotage is the navigation of a large vessel by a highly skilled Canadian marine pilot using his specialized skills and knowledge to guide the vessel through waters that have been designated as compulsory pilotage zones by a pilotage authority. There are four pilotage authorities in Canada, the Atlantic Pilotage Authority, the Laurentian Pilotage Authority, the Great Lakes Pilotage Authority and the Pacific Pilotage Authority. These pilotage authorities are responsible for the safe navigation of vessels within their area of jurisdiction. Each authority designates specific regions within its jurisdiction where the services of a licenced pilot onboard a vessel are required. An authority considers many factors before designating compulsory areas; such as, the degree of difficulty in and around a port, the incidence of weather, depth of the water, amount of traffic and the nature of the cargo carried, among other things.
