PILOT AND PILOTAGE. A pilot is a seafaring man familiar with a particular coast, who is licensed by the government or State to navigate vessels within a •particular district. In every large harbor where there is ninth water traffic, pilots go out in small boats or tugs to meet incoming steamships, and take them safely into port. It is the pilot's business to know all about shifting sandbars, or other ob structions to navigation, to keep accurate watch of tides and to be thoroughly familiar with local currents and conditions. When he comes aboard of a vessel that has called him, he goes at once to the wheelhouse, and takes charge. In Great Britain and the United States every qualified pilot on his appointment receives a license for a particular district from the pilot age authority of that district. Masters or mates of any ship may, upon giving due notice, be examined and passed by theproper authori ties, and receive pilotage certificates. In this case they must be renewed every year. Fur ther, any master or mate of a ship may obtain, after examination, a certificate to the effect that he is authorized to pilot any ship or ships be longing to the same owner of and under a cer tain draft of water. Any qualified pilot who commits any fraud against the customs or ex cise, or is guilty of corrupt practices as to ships, cargoes, crews or passengers; who lends his license, acts as pilot while suspended or when drunk, causes unnecessary expense to enhance his own or someone else's gain; declines, with out reasonable cause, to go off when signaled for or required; unnecessarily cuts or slips a cable; refuses to conduct a ship into port, ex cept on reasonable ground of danger to the ship; or leaves the ship of which he is in charge, without the master's consent, before the service for which he was hired has been per formed— renders himself liable to suspension or dismissal, as well as to a fine in addition to damages to the persons aggrieved. Pilotage fees
depend on the draft of water of the ship pi loted, and for vessels with a large draft of water are very much higher than for those with a small one. In Great Britain no owner or master of any ship is answerable to any person for any loss or damage occasioned by the fault or incapacity of any qualified pilot acting in charge of such ship i within any district where the employment of such pilot is compulsory; hut the pilot must not be interfered with in the discharge of his duties. Other maritime coun tries have also passed laws to regulate the pilotage of vessels. In the United States each individual State makes its own regulations as authorized by act of Congress. The most im portant body of pilots in the United States are those under the pilot commissioners of New York. The master of a vessel with a pilot on board has still the management of the vessel, and sees that she is kept in the course the pilot directs. A master refusing to take a pilot often vitiates the insurance on the vessel.
the compass-plant (q.v.).