PILOT (OF. iniote, Fr. pilot, probably from or. puhd. r, piloti. r, to sound with plummet and line: probably connected with Dutch iwitioot/, sounding-lead. front forum. 1Dutelt pcylcn, pijl,n, from .N11/titelt pegelrn, to gang.'. from pc!a1, ea paoity c.1 it ship's gauge food. AlDatell loot, Co1li, mt. (hr. Lot, AS. Pad, Eng. /cad). A person who makes a husiness of 0.1fidtiCting ves sels in and out of port. through narrow channels, up rivers, or along coasts where the navigation is specially difficult or dangerous. Ile is possessed, or supposed to he possessed. of sufficient knowl edge of all reefs, rocks. shoals. currents. and other dangers to navigation in the region for which he professes to be. or is licensed as, a ',omit-tent pilot. Except in little.frequented port:, pilots are usually members of a pilot as sociation or company organized under authority i•1 law; and they are required to pass examina tion as to fitness before being appointed or licensed. pilotage fees are not retained by the pilot in each case, but are paid into a com mon fund which is divided among the members according to the rules of the association. In order to furnish it sufficient fund for the pay ment of an adequate supply of pilots. pilotage is
milsory in many ports, but in these planes vessels usually need pay only half pilotage if tiny do not actually take a pilot. In ports N‘Ilich are not very easy of entrance marine in surance policies usually require that local pilots be employed under penalty of forfeiture of the policy. Masters of vessels frequenting particular ports very ermimonly take out pilot license to re duce the expense of entry and departure. Pilots man Le foil all all large ports. They are usually carried in small fast-sailing schooners.. but in recent years -tin' pilot boats ate steam vessels. Pilot boats Barry Uinta/Cr, whielt are 111:11.1.11 uu the sail or con-pieuon-ly painted on the hull I if a ,teamed. A century ago a pilot was ;1.
neces for a ship entering a locality unfamiliar to t he eatimin or master; hut the great improvement in charts, the increase in the number of houses, buoys, beacons. and other aids to naviga tion, and the ellange of motive power from sail to -team in more than half the large vessels of the world have erintributed to lessen the pilot's importance.