PILOT is a person specially deputed to take charge of a ship while passing through a particular sea, reach, or dangerous channel. The intricacy of almost all coast navigation renders it impossible that any navigator, however skillful, can be master of all the waters to which he may have to sail his ship; and the risk of failure, through ignorance of local dan gers, is therefore avoided by transferring the direction of her course to some one perfectly cquainted with the spot. The man to whom so much is intrusted must be at responsi ble person. and therefore in all countries qualified sailors are officially licensed to act as pilots in their districts, and they are granted the monopoly: The origin of the word pilot is uncertain; but it is probably taken from or nearly identical with the Dutch pijifoot, which is compounded of pcilen, to sound the depth, and the root which appears in D. lootsman, 0. E: todemnan, and signifies to lead, direct. Pilot thus means one who conducts a vessel by sounding. The laws'of Fishy, promulgated at least as early as the 14t1r c., and subsequently incorporated in nearly every maritime code, render it com pulsory on the master of a ship, to employ a pilot when sailing near a coast.
The British laws relating to pilots were revised and consolidated by the act 16 and 17 Vict..c. 129. Certain fees are established in proportion to the distance and responsibil ity; and the master of every vessel, above 50 tons, passing up the channel or the Thames, or tiee recta, is required to accept the services Of the first pilot tendering, pro vided he shows his license as a proof of qualification. Except in matters of discipline, the command of the vessel is then vested entirely in the pilot, who can have the sails, steer ing. etc., of the ship carried on entirely at his discretion until the limit of the pilot's dis trict is passed, except that the captain resumes his powers when the question of taking up ground in a harbor is concerned. The fees vary with the draught of the ship and the distance; as specimens, may be cited the highest and lowest in the London district: a ship drawing 22 ft. of water is piloted from Orfordness to Blackwell for £27 12s; a ship drawing not more than 7 ft. is guided from Gravesend Reach to Long Reach for
9s. 3d Pilots are associated in guilds called brotherhoods, of which the principal are the brotherhood of the Trinity house of Deptford-Stroud, situated on Tower Hill, which has jurisdiction over the Thames, Medway, and the coast from Harwich to the Isle of Wight; and the Trinity houses of Kingston-upon-Hull and Newcastle-on-Tyne. There are also societies of pilots at the larger ports out of these districts, the government in such case being vested in certain officials lawfully appointed as "pilotage authorities." Their powers over the members, etc., are defined in the act above quoted, and in the merchant shipping act of 1854, 17 and 18 Viet. c. 104. sections 330-388.
Pilots board vessels entering their districts in boats conspicuously painted, On the bows and sails of which must be the man's distinguishing number as shoWn by his license. The boat also bears a flag of comparatively large size, of red and white divided horizontally. A ship requiring a pilot hoists a square blue flag. In passing up or down the Thames, every ship above 50 tons or 6 ft. draught must bear a pilot; but her master or first-mate may act by license in that capacity, if he have passed the necessary exam ination. A master is subject to a penalty for sailing without a pilot; and, on the other hand. so also is any person, without a license, or whose license has been forfeited, pre suming to act or offering to act as a pilot.
In the navies of some countries the pilot is a permanent officer of the ship, and has charge of her course; but his functions in that case approach nearer to those of the Brit ish navigating officer. Large French vessels have often several sailing pilots called pilotee hauturiers, and a pilots cotier or lamaneur. The ancient laws of France contained provisions for the education and regulation of both these classes.
The general rule as to the responsibility of the owners of t4e ship is, that no owner or master of a ship is answerable to any person whatever for any loss or damage, occa sioned by the fault or incapacity of any qualified pilot, acting in charge of such ship within any district where the employment of the pilot is compulsory.